Second Chances
by Dark-Supernatural-Angel
Summary: 2004: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two brothers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two brothers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to, resulting in events happening that he isn't ready for? Crossover with Supernatural!...pre-SPN. Plz R&R!
1. Prologue & AN

"**Second Chances"**

**Prologue**

**A/N: **So I wanted to post this up in the LWD fandom first since it mainly focuses on Derek and Casey.

There wasn't many stories with Casey having a brother and the idea of having this crossover came to mind (because the Winchesters are amazing!) Plus who better to get under Derek's skin than Dean Winchester (you'll see what I mean). **;D**

So hopefully you will all like it and want me to continue posting. **Please review to tell me what you think of the idea! ****  
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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two brothers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two brothers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis' for LWD]

Crossover with Supernatural (pre-series).

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**Casey's POV**

Everyone is excited about high school graduation, a milestone that tells everyone that we are ready for the real world either for more school or to work, it's a sign saying that we could take care of ourselves now and should be given the chance to. Well I've been waiting for this day since I was first told that I was going to high school. Now that the time has come, I'm even more ecstatic on the ceremony as I forget about all the pressures and decisions I had to make during this final year. I'm relieved that the day has finally come.

I never wanted to go to high school, I never wanted to leave my family but that's what my father wanted me to do. I had been home schooled up to that point while my brothers went to school with so many transfers on their transcript it's not funny. My family moves around a lot and putting me in school to learn the basics was pointless, so my family just taught it to me. My brothers are definitely smarter than your average teenager since they picked up on material so fast and then they taught the information back to me. I remember my oldest brother, Dean, being the slacker and 'player' of the school and not caring attitude but he still understood the material more than the rest of the class; I say he's a genius for it. My other brother, Sam, is the same thing but he actually puts the effort into school so that he learned the material faster, which allowed him to graduate faster than his fellow students. It was useful for me too since he just taught me the stuff anyways so that I was prepared for when I had to go to high school. I was learning high school material before I was fifteen. My dad, John, said that all of his kids had to have high school diplomas at least, and that if we wanted to continue then we could but he wanted us to stay and help him with the family business. All of us wanted to help our dad out in the family business which all started when my mom, Mary, died in a house fire when I was seven months old. My dad was never convinced that the fire was accidental and it turned out that my mother was killed….by a demon in my nursery.

Ever since that day we have lived on the road with my dad learning how to hunt down the supernatural and track down the thing that killed my mom. Along the way as we traveled across the country, my dad began training my brothers and me, once we were at the appropriate age and he told us everything that went bump in the night. I started training when I was eight and usually stayed back at the motel with one or both of my brothers while Dad went on a hunt. He was usually gone for awhile leaving me with my brothers as they basically raised me until I was fifteen when my dad decided that I needed a normal high school education and experience and sent me to live with my Aunt Nora in Canada. I fought with him about it since I didn't want to leave and my brothers fought along with me but he promised that if I wanted to continue hunting after high school, I could come join them once I graduated.

So I moved in with my Aunt Nora and cousin, Lizzie and became a regular high school student. I didn't put all my efforts into school but I still managed to get the best marks. _Thank you Sam and Dean for all those years of teaching me._ I still gave the appearance of being so grade-conscious but I never needed it, so the long hours of 'homework' in my room ended up being a few hours with the extra time perfecting my martial arts training and staying in shape. Aunt Nora knew about the hunts but she never pursued it but she took the basic precautions that a hunter takes to protect themselves so Lizzie doesn't know what really happens out there in the dark.

For a year it was just the three of us and I was fine with it until Aunt Nora decided to get married to a George Venturi who already had three kids of his own. Aunt Nora never told them I was her niece but that I was her daughter since I would be staying until I graduated. Living with the Venturis was definitely new and weird for sure. His eldest son, Derek, reminded me a little bit of Dean which made me even sadder since I couldn't see them. Sam would occasionally email me telling me that they are still alive and asking how school was but that was it. The middle child, Edwin, was definitely a weird one with his spying, pranking and blind obedience towards Derek. Lastly there was little Marti, who was very sweet but seemed to only like her own siblings which was fine with me. The more time went on, the more the Venturis accepted the McDonalds and me into the family, aside from Derek who took his free time pranking me and annoying me to death. Sure, I'm use to the pranks because of Sam and Dean but Derek just made it worse since it always reminded me of my brothers. Derek constantly wormed himself into my life to annoy me and I had to try so much harder to try and hide who I really was. As time went on, there were good times and bad with all the members of the family but I always thought about my family that were on the road in America. I had to try so hard to hide all my training from everyone that it got exhausting at times.

My hiding can finally come to an end as graduation was approaching. Hiding who I really am, hiding my true emotions can finally be let loose once I've gotten my diploma, the moment that will signify that I am free to be me again. I still applied to university just for the fun of it and was accepted to all of them. I was declared valedictorian and needed to write a speech. I wasn't nervous but I knew that my family would be proud if they found out. I got them what they wanted, I had gotten my high school education at its fullest. It was a week before graduation when I told Aunt Nora that I would be going back to my family after the summer and she agreed to keep it a secret. I wanted the household to act as if I was just going away to university and not out of their lives for a really long time like distant relatives do.

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**Chapter 1 Sneak Peek (Casey's POV):**

[_Sat. June 26, 2004_]

Graduation day had finally arrived and I was overwhelmed with excitement. My speech was all memorized and basically what I believed the future had in store for us and something everyone could relate to. And if all else fails, I could just wing it. Everyone else in the house were all frantic, apparently Derek had already left and told Edwin that he wasn't going to graduation which caused George to freak out. Lizzie was stuck watching over Marti and Aunt Nora just seemed to have her mind elsewhere as if something else was going to happen.

I was all dressed and ready to go in my purple and black halter floral dress that went up to my mid-thigh with a black sash just below my bust. I also had the silver charm bracelet that Sam had given me before we had said our goodbyes. I was all ready and waiting downstairs when Aunt Nora came up from her basement bedroom.

"Mom, where is everyone?" I asked Aunt Nora as I waited in the quiet dining room. I had to call Aunt Nora 'mom' while I was living with her. It hurt at times but I never got the chance to know my real mom.

"Everyone's in the car but I'm just looking for something." Aunt Nora answered as she paced around the kitchen looking.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just looking for my camera." Before I could say anything the door bell rang. "Casey, could you get the door for me?"

"Doesn't George have a key to get in?"

"It's not George. I'm expecting these people, so please could you?"

"Alright." I turned around and headed to the front door as I heard Aunt Nora scrambling to find the camera.

My eyes were staring at the doorknob and once I opened the door I saw two pairs of well dress legs that seemed to be in suits. I slowly moved my gaze to the two faces and my eyes widened at the sight of two guys in casual looking suits with huge smiles on their faces and I couldn't help but smile too. They weren't just two guys, they were my brothers.

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NEED TO KNOW:**

Birthdays/Ages:

**Derek Michael Venturi **- born March 2, 1986 (age 18)

**Cassandra "Casey" Diana Winchester** - born April 19, 1985 (age 19) - WILL BE EXPLAINED LATER

**Edwin Daniel Venturi **- born April/May 1990 (age 14) - entering Gr. 9 in Sept. 2004

**Elizabeth "Lizzie" Madelyn McDonald** - born July/August 1990 (age 13) - entering Gr. 9 in Sept. 2004

**Martha "Marti" Aribella Venturi** - born Jan. 1995 (age 9) (turned 8 when Derek was with Sally in gr. 11)

**Dean Winchester** - born Jan. 24, 1979 (age 25)

**Sam Winchester** - born May 2, 1983 (age 21)

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'Supernatural' is AU because of the following changes:

- Sam and Dean have a little sister (Casey)  
- Casey is extremely close to Sam and Dean  
- Sam didn't go to Stanford (he graduated from high school before Casey left to live with the McDonald's)  
- Mary Winchester (mother) died in Casey's nursery at her **7-month** birthday anniversary (not 6 months after Sam's birth, in his nursery like in the SPN series) - Mary's death is now on **Nov. 19, 1985 **(not Nov. 2, 1983)  
- John Winchester has not gone missing yet but does do hunting cases separate from his sons

'Life with Derek' Changes:

Casey will definitely be OOC since I'll be working in her true identity as a Winchester** THEREFORE** some episodes in the series might have been altered to suite that (but the outcome is still the same...like if Casey getting surgery or Derek getting chicken pox, the outcome of each episode should still remain the same to a point...otherwise I would state it during a chapter)

Derek thinks he's **6 WEEKS older** than Casey when she's really the older one out of the two (will explain Derek being younger in an outtake)

ALSO, there is NO 'Baby Venturi' like they announced in Season 4's 'Surprise'.

AND, Casey DOES NOT get back together with Truman during prom in Season 4's 'Surprise' (she agrees to go with him like in the episode but they don't KISS and they don't get back together) - Derek and Emily ARE NOT a couple (they just went to prom together)

Keep in mind **JOHN WINCHESTER is NORA'S OLDER BROTHER! **(John, Nora and Fiona Winchester)**  
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Originally Published: **May 6, 2010

**Edited: **March 24, 2011


	2. Ch 1: Reunions and Preparations

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 1: Reunions and Preparations  
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**A/N #1: **Hello everyone! I'm finally back and as of 5:05pm today my first summer semester was done! Unfortunately, I only have 1.5 weeks until the second semester starts but I'll try to get more updates for all my active stories. (A lot of writing on my part). Enjoy this chapter, it's definitely longer than I planned but I figured it's been a long wait. **Enjoy & Review!**

**A/N #2: **I just want to thank all the people who read this (thanks for the hits) as well as those who reviewed the chapter (shout out to **Animefreakkagome**, **my shangri-la**, and **kbw121691**). Thanks to all those that added an alert to the story. It really means a lot that you're reading since this story had been taking up a lot of my brainstorm timing during the summer.

**A/N #3: **I'm doing my best trying to figure out the LWD timeline but it's really bizarre that some of it doesn't add up. It's weird but I'm trying.

**A/N #4: **QUESTION: Would you prefer specific LWD rewrites to be published as one-shots or put them as a separate chapter within this story. Some episodes have missing scenes and some needed some tweaking for Casey's 'new identity'. So please tell me in a review =D

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

Some dialogue from the flashback is taken from the Series Finale ('Futuritis')

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Casey's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

Graduation day had finally arrived and I was overwhelmed with excitement. My speech was all memorized and basically what I believed the future had in store for us and something everyone could relate to. And if all else fails, I could just wing it. Everyone else in the house were all frantic, apparently Derek had already left and told Edwin that he wasn't going to graduation which caused George to freak out. Lizzie was stuck watching over Marti and Nora just seemed to have her mind elsewhere as if something else was going to happen.

I was all dressed and ready to go in my purple and black halter floral dress that went up to my mid-thigh with a black sash just below my bust. I also had the silver charm bracelet that Sam had given me before we had said our goodbyes as well as the silver ring Dean gave me just over a year ago. I was all ready and waiting downstairs when Aunt Nora came up from her basement bedroom.

"Mom, where is everyone?" I asked Aunt Nora as I waited in the quiet dining room. I had to call Aunt Nora 'mom' while I was living with her. It hurt at times but I never got the chance to know my real mom, Mary, since she died in the fire when I was only nine months old.

"Everyone's in the car but I'm just looking for something." Aunt Nora answered as she paced around the kitchen looking.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just looking for my camera." Before I could say anything the door bell rang. "Casey, could you get the door for me?"

"Doesn't George have a key to get in?"

"It's not George. I'm expecting these people, so please could you?"

"Alright." I turned around and headed to the front door as I heard Aunt Nora scrambling to find the camera.

My eyes were staring at the doorknob and once I opened the door I saw two pairs of well dress legs that seemed to be in suits. I slowly moved my gaze to the two faces and my eyes widened at the sight of two guys in casual looking suits with huge smiles on their faces and I couldn't help but smile too. They weren't just two guys, they were my brothers. My brothers, Sam and Dean, were standing before me all dressed up which I don't remember ever seeing them like that. I was speechless.

"Are we too late?" Dean asked which brought my attention back to my brothers.

"Huh?"

"For your graduation." Sam added in trying to get through my fogged out state but I could feel my eyes widen once again. _'I couldn't believe it.' _

"You guys came for my graduation?"

"Of course, why else would I put on this monkey suit? It may not be formal but it's still a monkey suit." Dean explained while he complained about wearing a suit. Dean never liked dressing up, even when he had to do with the hunts; he just never liked it while Sam, on the other hand didn't mind it much.

"You look great in the monkey suit, Dean. You too, Sam." Casey quipped to Dean before spreading the compliment which gave her one smile and a smirk. It was like I was getting back in routine with my brothers, as if nothing has changed and no time has passed since the last time we've seen one another. My brothers did look good, damn good if I was to be honest. At least now I know why women keep throwing themselves at my brothers, the last time I physically saw them was well before boys were even an issue on my mind. _Oh_ _the simpler days_.

"You don't look so bad yourself Case." Dean complimented me which caused me to mirror the smirk that was on Dean's face.

"You do look amazing Case." Sam added in turning my smirk into a smile as I looked between them.

"Thanks guys." I grabbed both boys and pulled them in for a group hug.

"No problem but what's with the surprised look?" Sam asked while we ended the hug. I ushered them inside before shutting the door before I answered.

"I didn't expect to see my brothers today. I thought I was going to see you guys in two months. Plus when I called yesterday you didn't say anything." I explained with a smile on my face. I still couldn't believe they were here. Sam and Dean both shared a questioning look with one another before Sam said anything.

"Didn't Aunt Nora tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"She called us last week telling us your decision and when your graduation was. Luckily we weren't on a hunt but we still had to drive a long way and cross the border. She told us not to say anything because she was going to tell you." Dean explained as he moved further into the house until he was leaning against Derek's recliner.

"Aunt Nora-" Just then Aunt Nora came to greet my brothers with the camera in her hands.

"Great! You boys made it. I hope it was alright to call them Casey." Aunt Nora rushed out as she moved to the end of the stairs causing Dean to straighten up.

"You kidding! I love it!" I quickly rushed to hug Aunt Nora before turning to my brothers. "But where's Dad?"

"He is on a hunt but he wishes he were here." Sam stated as I saw Dean giving me a nod before tilting his head to the side and really looking at me. _Was there something on my face?_

"Dean, what?"

"Just wondering why your eyes are all of a sudden blue. I'm pretty sure eye color doesn't change in four years." Dean smirked as I gaped at the comment. Dean chuckled and then Sam moved to look at my face too.

"Oh yeah, they are blue."

"Color contacts, since neither Aunt Nora nor Uncle Dennis have our eye color." I explained before looking to Aunt Nora, basically pleading to her with my eyes to let me take them off. I absolutely love my natural eye color and I've hated that I've had to wear the contacts. Both Dean and I have hazel green eyes, like our mom, while Sam has the chocolate brown eyes, like our dad, but if you look close enough you could see a swirl of hazel green mixed in there.

"You can take them out Honey, you should be you from now on." Aunt Nora stated with a smile on her face. I quickly ran upstairs to take the color contacts out as Aunt Nora stayed with my brothers.

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Dean's POV:**

I couldn't help but slightly chuckle when Casey ran upstairs to get the contacts out. I'm definitely glad that she didn't have her shoes on because then she may have twisted her ankle and that is never good. I can't believe how much Casey has grown up in four years. Sure I saw her on T.V. when she was in that dance contest but that broadcast didn't do Casey justice. Now I have to worry about guys going after her. A big brother's job is never done. Then again, that same broadcast not only showed that Casey can dance, but I think it was obvious that Casey liked dancing with Derek. Alright obvious to me because she can't hide anything from me, I am the one that taught her how to lie efficiently.

Before I could continue my train of thought, Sam nudged me in the side and I winced before giving him a death glare.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Snapping you out of your own thoughts, now pay attention." My little brother retorted back at me and I just rolled my eyes.

"Whatever Sammy. So Aunt Nora, I hope Casey hasn't been giving you any trouble these past few years."

"No, she's been great. Sometimes I forget that she's my niece and I do have to say that she's keeping up with this persona for some time. I'm glad she could be herself again." Aunt Nora stated with what I could tell was some pride for Casey in her voice. I would be proud of Casey too, it's like she's been undercover for so long. I am proud of her.

"No troubles?" I raised an eyebrow because I knew about the fights Casey has had with Derek.

"Besides her fights with Derek, no troubles at all. Surprisingly, the only time she could let her other side loose is whenever she's fighting with Derek. I think if Derek wasn't here, Casey would have gone stir crazy after being only half herself for this long."

"Yeah, Casey told us how intense those fights were and how sometimes they escalated." Sam said as he tried not to laugh.

We both knew about Casey's feelings for Derek, we kind of made her admit them after that dance contest and before we knew it, she was giving us practically a play by play on how her feelings for him had changed. I personally didn't like the fact that we were talking about emotions to begin with but hearing about them with Casey's insight was definitely interesting how she described certain emotions in different ways. It's quite funny how she probably fell in love with her enemy. Usually that would be an 'absolutely no' type of situation but since Derek isn't a supernatural entity, he's safe from my wrath.

"To be honest, I was a little worried when we first moved here that their fights would be too much but they gradually grown on each other and they have this dynamic between then that works."

"How so?" I couldn't help but ask. It's interesting to see what an 'outsider' would perceive Casey and Derek's 'relationship'.

"They may fight a lot but they seem to always be there for each other when they need it the most. Derek would never deliberately hurt Casey and she would always help him if he asks for it."

"Kind of like when it really counts, they can depend on each other?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, their step-sibling relationship isn't like that of Edwin and Lizzie's but it's not like that of complete enemies either." Aunt Nora gave a small smile at the thought of her family's bonding. I could only smirk at Sam because we knew that there was no way Casey thought of Derek as a step-brother.

Any conversations involving Casey and Derek were put to a halt when we heard Casey coming down the stairs.

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Casey's POV: **

It didn't take me long to get my color contacts out but I couldn't help smile when I saw my reflection with hazel green eyes staring back at me. I quickly put everything back before I raced down the stairs. I stopped at the landing and took a seat, so that I could put my black heels on but returning to my spot between Dean and Aunt Nora.

"I'm ready. So how do I look?" I couldn't help but twirl a bit in my spot causing my dress to flow a little at the bottom.

"Like yourself." Aunt Nora complimented and it caused me to smile. I did feel like more of myself now like I did on my 18th birthday when I got the silver ring and leather jacket from my family. It was like bits and pieces of my Winchester personality were slowly returning to me and I loved it!

"It's good to have you back Baby Girl." Dean stated before pulling me into his side and placing a kiss to my temple. Dean's never going to let the nickname drop no matter how old I get. I'll always be his 'Baby Girl' because in a way, Dean raised me. Dad was always gone on hunts when we were younger so Dean was left to watch out and take care of me and Sam. So in a way, Dean is like my father, my brother, my protector and my best friend. So was Sam but it was Dean who had to carry that responsibility of protecting us. I'll always be grateful; he truly is the best big brother ever.

"I'm glad to be back." I couldn't help but reply.

"Now gather around, I want to take a picture of the three of you before we head off." Aunt Nora practically demanded and I couldn't help but laugh as I placed myself between Sam and Dean, each of them wrapping an arm around me as mine instinctively went around their waists. Even in my heels, I was still shorter than Dean (there is no way I was even going to get close to Sam's freakishly tall height).

"Just for the record, this is only one of the few moments that I will allow my picture to be taken in this monkey suit." Dean complained as he got settled into his pose. I had to keep my laugh in at the typical Dean response. It looks like things will never change with my big brother.

"Get use to it Dean, today is all about Casey and it will be filled with pictures." Sam reminded Dean as he too was trying to hold back a laugh.

"You better believe it! We are going to a normal graduation for once." I couldn't help but admit that. In the past, we never stayed long enough for the actual graduation ceremony. Dean took the test and immediately got his GED while Sam finished two years earlier and got his diploma before the ceremony as he stated that he was 'going on vacation' at the time. So today was definitely a big day for us Winchesters, I just wished all of us were here to celebrate it. I know my mom is watching over us but I wish my dad was here too instead of on a hunt.

"Alright, now say cheese." The cliché statement is what brought me back to the happy family moment I was currently in. A normal moment I could share with my brothers, something that they themselves couldn't experience. It was at that moment I was glad that I went to stay with Aunt Nora because it gave my brothers this moment to look forward to with me.

"I rather say pie." I had to hold in my laugh once again at Dean's statement and once the flash went off, I couldn't hold my laugh in anymore. Another flash went off to what I assume was Aunt Nora going camera crazy. I could feel Dean's stare on me and I could only assume that Sam himself was chuckling from my actions.

"What?" Dean questioned. It was only a few moments later until I calmed myself down long enough to answer.

"Nothing, I just really missed this." I smiled up at Dean and then to Sam and I could see their smiles before I saw another flash go off. Before I could say anything about the constant pictures, I heard the back door opening.

"Mom, Casey, hurry up! We don't want to be late!" Lizzie shouted before we heard the back door close again.

"I guess that's our cue to leave." Sam suggested and I just nodded.

"Alright so Casey if you want you could ride with your brothers to school and we'll see you after the ceremony." I nodded. "Good luck with your speech." Aunt Nora kissed my cheek before heading out to the back door to join the rest of the family in the garage.

"Okay, lets go." I stated while I grabbed my purse and ushered Sam and Dean outside. I locked up while Dean was already getting into the driver's seat as Sam was waiting for me at the bottom of the porch stairs. He was probably worried that I would be a klutz in heels. Thankfully, with all of my additional training I got rid of as much of my klutz problem as I could. Now I just have those rare occasional klutz moments.

Once I was in the backseat of the Impala and Sam was in shotgun, Dean tore out onto the road before I even saw the Venturis' car leave the garage. I gave Dean my school's address before I relaxed. Being back in the Impala just brought back so many memories that it was kind of overwhelming. Who knew I'd miss a car so much? The Impala wasn't just some car, like the Prince, it's been my home for 15 years and it will continue to be my home. It's been in the family even before my parents got married. It's a car that deserves to be dubbed a part of the Winchester family, it's been through everything with us.

"Case, you okay?" Dean broke through my thoughts on the Impala as he glanced at me from the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, just a little nervous that's all." It never occurred to me that I was until I said it out loud. In just a few moments I'll be giving my speech to the entire graduating class. Of all the times to be nervous it had to be right now….at least it wasn't on a hunt.

"You will do fine and just remember that we're so proud of you. Valedictorian is a great honor." Sam exclaimed as he turned around to face me with a smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile back. My brothers always did know how to cheer me up.

"Thanks guys. I'm really glad you're here."

"So are we Case. Alright, time to put your game face on, we're here." Dean pointed out and I couldn't help but be surprised that we were already at my school. The car ride seemed so much faster, then again, Dean was driving.

"We'll see you after the ceremony." Sam stated once we all got out of the car simultaneously. I started taking a few steps towards the school, I didn't want to be late but I turned around before I got too far from them.

"Get ready for lots of pictures afterwards." I smirked at Dean, remembering what he said at the house.

"Don't worry Case, this day is about you, so I will take and be in as many pictures as you wish. Now go or you'll be late." Dean told me before shooing me off to the school. I rushed inside but I took a glance behind me to see that my brothers were slowly approaching the school. They probably didn't want to get caught up in the crowd. I went in to find my gown, Emily and then my spot in the line up while my nerves slowly simmered down.

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Derek's POV:**

I left the house before anyone noticed because I needed time to think and get my prank set up as well as approve of Edwin's prank too. It was just all so confusing. The past few months have been kind of weird. Casey and I have actually become somewhat friends to say the least. Either I say it like that or I say that we've somehow 'bonded' over the last few months of high school but I still can't believe both reasons.

I think it started with that whole anniversary thing our parents had a few months ago when Nora made Casey and I retell the story of 'Operation Disengagement'. I personally didn't want to relive that moment because that was a point in time when I actually knew Casey and wasn't connected to her in any way, a moment before we became the dreaded stepsiblings. Then she helped me past my final exams with all the studying sessions and we actually didn't kill each other after all the time we spent studying together. That surprised me to no end because I usually don't study or get along with Casey for a long period of time. Then the whole cheating-Truman thing happened and somewhere along those lines, Casey and I have become friends and not the fighting enemies we were when she moved in. Just when I think I have her figured out, she does something that totally surprises me and I deem out-of-character for her, like take last night for example.

**[FLASHBACK]**

_I was listening to some music and looking at my acceptance letter from Queens when Casey barges in and turns my music off while I quickly hide my letter. I wasn't planning on telling anyone about it yet._

"_Do you mind? I'm trying to finish my speech." Casey semi-yells at me as she walks closer to the bed. I look up at her all annoyed with her being in my room. _

"_Do you mind? I'm trying to finish my thought." I retorted, still laying on my bed. _

"_Oh, planning your pathetic prank."_

"_For the last time, I'm not pranking. In fact, I've decided not to go to graduation." I admitted. _

"_Really? That is the best grad present ever!" Casey walks out of my room with excitement as I sigh in relief before looking at my letter again. It wasn't long before Casey entered back into my room with a confused expression but I covered the letter once again. _

"_How could you not go to your own high school graduation?" She asked in a flustered panic. _

"_Because I'm done with high school. My future starts now." I simply stated before putting my hands behind my head in a relaxed position. _

"_Oh, your future goofing off in Europe?" I smirked at that. I wasn't planning on saying anything but if it will throw her off her game then why not?_

"_Actually, I have options." I glanced a look at her before looking straight ahead._

"_Oh, of course you do. Like whether to goof off in Spain or Portugal." I mentally rolled my eyes to the fact that she didn't get it. But I look up at her and smirk before telling her my secret acceptance._

"_No, I just found out I got into university." I took my hands down from behind my head before sitting up straighter. _

"_You're going to university?" Casey said in an unbelievable tone and I was about to say something but she wasn't done. "Wow, congrats Derek." I was shocked by that but I couldn't let her see that._

"_Oh…..thanks, but I'm deferring because I want to see the world. You on the other hand, don't have the guts to make a decision." I sort of didn't want to get into a fight after she congratulated me on my acceptance but she needed to hear it. She can't put off making decisions forever. _

"_What makes you think that I haven't made a decision yet?"_

"_Because if you had made a decision of what school you were going to, you would have told the family and they would be celebrating with you. And if I'm not mistaken, nothing like that has happened yet." _

"_What if it's a secret?"_

"_You can't keep a secret. You're a terrible liar."_

"_Shows what you know and besides you're keeping your acceptance from the family, how is that any different from what I'm doing?"_

"_Quit changing the subject, I know you're just scared."_

"_Scared of what?"_

"_You're scared of the future. You can't handle that not everything is in your control. You have futuritis." I know it's not a real word but it fits.  
_

"_I don't have futuritis. And that's not even a word." Casey starts heading back to her room and I should have kept my mouth shut and shut my door but I couldn't help what came out of my mouth next. _

"_So? It doesn't mean it's not true. Just face it Case, quit running." I raised my voice so that she could hear me and the next thing I know Casey is back once again standing in front of me while pointing a finger at me. _

"_I'm not running from anything! I am scared but I'm NOT running!" Casey admits which confuses me yet I don't show it. _

"_Then make a decision." I simply stated. _

"_I will." Once Casey said that she ripped up the speech in her hands and she threw it down having it land on my floor. My eyes widened at the action._

"_Why did you just do that? The ceremony's tomorrow." I couldn't help but state yet preparing myself for a 'Casey Blow Up' but it never came._

"_It doesn't feel right to say that speech now." Casey quickly walks away and shuts her bedroom door behind her. _

_I was expecting Casey to scream in anger for ripping her speech up but it never came. I quickly shut my door and slid down the wall that separates my room from Casey's room before I opened up the air vent. I could hear Casey pacing in her room as well as her pushing buttons. I could only assume the buttons were from her phone, otherwise it would be from her computer but then she wouldn't be pacing now, would she?_

"_C'mon, c'mon, pick up." Casey kept saying to herself. I couldn't help but wonder who she was calling at this time._

_"..."_

"_Hey Sammy, I need some advice." I couldn't believe it, why was she calling my best friend for advice and since when has she started calling him 'Sammy'? _

_"..."_

"_I kind of just tore up my speech for tomorrow."_

_"..."_

"_Short version, I had an argument with Derek and it made me realize that what I had in my speech wasn't really what I believed. So I ripped it up." I was a little ticked, why would she now confide in my best friend when she has Emily?_

_"..."_

"_He said I was scared about the future and that was why I wasn't making a decision about schools." '_You are scared Casey_' I couldn't help but think as I heard her stop pacing and land on her bed, indicated by the bed springs' creaking. _

_"..."_

"_Of course I'm scared, why shouldn't I be? When I'm here, everything is planned out already, smooth sailing. But once I'm back out there, who knows what will happen? My life could change in a split second before I can stop it and that scares me." _'Typical Casey.'

_"..."_

"_Please tell me that."_

_"..."_

"_Hey D and yeah, can you really blame me?" __I couldn't help but think who this 'D' character was. Was he the same guy she mentioned awhile back? Where did Sam go? I remained silent as I continued to listen to Casey's side of the conversation. _

_"..."_

"_I just don't know what to say, I can't really say my fears specifically, you know?" _'Oh….what fears exactly?'

_"..."_

"_Live with no regrets, live life to its fullest and don't hold back basically, right?" __I couldn't help but nod in approval. It was actually some decent advice from a keener like her. _

_"..."_

"_Wingin' it does sound like a great option at this point." __I silently scoffed at myself. Casey wingin' it? Yeah right.  
_

_"..."_

"_Thanks D. Tell Sammy thanks too."_

_"..."_

"_Night." I heard a click before a thump from the phone. I heard Casey sigh before the bed creaked again. I assumed she was going to write that new speech so I closed the vent and went back to my bed. _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

I couldn't stop thinking about who she called for that advice. I kept on wondering what Casey was afraid of. Did I really hit a nerve when I said she was afraid of the future? I know everyone is scared of the future at some point in their life but she sounded pretty freaked and I only wished that I could have heard the other side of that conversation. I usually didn't care whether I upset Casey or not but I guess with the whole new-found friendship and the specific topic in question got me wondering.

I had to snap out of my thoughts and focus on my prank. I was behind the stage setting up while avoiding Principal Lassiter. It was only a few minutes later that Edwin found me.

"Hey D, how's it going?" He whispered while looking around as if he were in spy mode.

"I'm fine but what are you doing back here?"

"I came to tell you that people are arriving." He warned and I could only nod.

"Alright, you know what to do?"

"Yeah, pretend you're not here and perform the prank everyone is expecting so that yours is more of a surprise." Edwin reiterated the plan back to me. I couldn't help but smirk. I originally wasn't going to do a prank but I figured why not since it would be my last high school prank, might as well leave with a bang.

"Exactly. Just remember to do it after Casey's speech."

"Why do you care if I do my prank afterwards?"

"Do you really want to listen to Casey complain possibly all summer about how we ruined her Valedictorian speech? I rather not, thank you very much." I explained with a hint of sarcasm. The fact that dad told me to pull the prank after her speech was another thing too but I couldn't have Edwin thinking that I was listening to dad now, could I?

"We?" I scoffed at Edwin's cluelessness that is 'Casey knowledge'. He should know by now that Casey practically blames everything on me, not as much recently, but still.

"You know she's going to pin it on me too." Edwin nodded before he agreed. "Now get started." I shooed Edwin off before I too got into place. My plan was to hide in the back, out of sight since everyone thinks I skipped and then Edwin will pull his prank after Casey's speech and I could pull mine by making my big entrance. I just hope I don't fall asleep during Casey's speech…timing is everything.

* * *

**A/N #5:** So how was this chapter? Did it make up for the long wait? What did you think? I apologize if the grammar in the flashback is off (I sometimes switch past/present tenses when I write) but I tried proofreading as much as I could.

**A/N #6:** Usually it's written in either Casey, Derek's and rarely Dean's POV. I hope it gives you more insight on the changes that happened.

**A/N #7:** I hope you guys like this chapter and don't be shy with the **reviews**. I would love to know your thoughts and what you think might happen in the story. Give me your predictions, you never know, you might be right! Thanks again for reading and please **review**! (I would hate to put a minimum review requirement in order for the next update D=)

**

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Originally Published:** June 24, 2010


	3. Ch 2: The Ceremony

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 2: The Ceremony  
**

**A/N #1: **Hey this may be a faster update but I wanted to update because of the premiere of "Vacation with Derek" which was great.

**A/N #2: **For the longest time, I didn't know WHAT Casey should say during her speech (I didn't like most of the original one) plus she was "wingin' it" and she had to have a Winchester mentality when talking about the future (if that makes sense). So some of her speech in this has some of the original but it was definitely longer (my own valedictorian had an amazing 12 minute speech that was definitely inspiration, funny and thankfully on Youtube =D). **Casey's speech is in BOLD**. (_Italics_ are still thoughts).

**A/N #3: **I just want to thank everyone for reviewing, reading and alerting my story. It means a lot to me and things do pick up after this whole graduation ceremony bit. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! I love you all for it!

**

* * *

Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**

* * *

Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

**

* * *

Casey's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

Once I got inside the school, the atmosphere just hit me all at once. In just a few moments, I would be a high school graduate. It felt so surreal that I couldn't really believe it now that it was here. Sam and Dean were here to celebrate with me, Aunt Nora, Lizzie and the Venturis were here to support me (and Derek) and then everything is going to change. For better or for worse, I don't know at this point but I can't think about it right now. I have to get through graduation and my speech. Now is definitely the time to embrace my Winchester identity.

"Casey!" I turned around at the sound of my name and I found Emily rushing over to me while carrying a blue graduation gown in her hands as she was already wearing hers.

"Emily, hi!" I greeted back as I embraced my best friend at Thompson High. Emily was my very first friend here and I'll never forget that. She's helped me go through a lot when I couldn't get a hold of Sam or Dean. I'll definitely miss Emily Davis.

"So you excited?" Emily asked as she pulled away.

"You could say that." I blew out a big breath. The ceremony would be starting any minute now. I just wish I was sitting with Emily instead of on stage. Being valedictorian has me sitting on stage then in the first row with the rest of the students but either way, students were seated alphabetically for efficiently. **(A/N: My graduation had us formatted this way plus it made more sense for me so just go with it.)**

"Might I say, you look amazing Case, it's a shame these gowns cover it up."

"Thanks Em and I see what you mean. All I see is blue on you." Emily laughed and I just smiled. Emily did have a way of distracting me by talking about 'girl stuff.'

"Anyways, I grabbed your gown for you." Emily handed me my own graduation gown and I couldn't help but hug her as I expressed a thank you. "I figured you might be preoccupied with your speech." She quickly explained as we pulled apart.

"That's very sweet Em, thanks." I started putting the gown on as she ushered me closer to the auditorium.

"No problem. You ready?"

"I think so." I took another deep breath.

"You'll be fine Casey, just relax." Emily assured me and I could only nod. Before I knew it, one of the teachers was escorting me to the stage to take my seat as Emily joined the rest of the graduates to take their designate seat.

Everyone was getting seated at this point. The lights were a little blinding but I could still see where everyone was. I could see Aunt Nora and the others seated on my right, I could see Sam and Dean standing in the back as Dean was casually leaning on the wall. Strangely enough I saw Derek's friends, Ralph and Sam, standing a few feet away from my brothers yet close to the door instead of in their seats. That got me suspicious but I continued to search the audience as the room got quiet. I could see Emily in the second row as well as a few fellow students. I could see the empty chair near the end of the graduates' row and I knew that Derek was still not here. I couldn't believe he was actually skipping his own graduation. Sam and Dean didn't get to go to their own against their will yet he chose to skip his. _Unbelievable_.

"And now it gives me great pleasure to introduce Sir John Sparrow Thompson High's class valedictorian, Casey McDonald." It was Mr. Lassiter's introduction that brought me out of my thought and I was stunned to a point that I thought I couldn't feel my legs. The clapping got me out of my stupor as I made my way towards the podium as Mr. Lassiter took my seat.

"Thank you Mr. Lassiter." I automatically replied and I got a nod in response before I looked back out in the audience. I took a deep breath as I looked immediately to my brothers as they brought two thumbs up in encouragement. I gave a small smile before I continued.

"**Good afternoon parents, teachers and my fellow graduates." **I took a deep breath as I gripped the podium tightly. I slowly exhaled and smiled as I let the thoughts whirl in my head, remembering what Dean told me and just generalize my feelings.

"**I was supposed to give this inspiring speech about the future but I don't really know where to start. For one, I am excited for the future but the truth is I'm also scared." **My grip loosened and I was subconsciously twirling the silver ring on my finger as I remembered why I was scared. I'm scared to dive into a hunter's life because of all the uncertainty it holds. Never knowing whether it's the hunt that makes or breaks you, not knowing what will happen next. I was so use to predictability for the past few years, I'm scared to see that diminish. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic to be reunited with my brothers but I just wish we could stay and have a normal life together…..I know that won't be a possibility until we kill the thing that killed our mom. I just started listing things that came through my mind, making sure to make them relatable to everyone.

"**I'm scared about leaving this part of my life behind, scared to say goodbye, scared for change in general because the future is unpredictable, unexpected, unreliable to a point that everything can change in an instant, whether it's a good change or a bad change, no one knows. The point though is that you choose what to make of it. It's up to us to decide how we want to live our lives." **I paused to catch my breath before I released the podium all together. I tried to minimize the hand gestures but some couldn't be avoided.

"**See we make all these plans and we hope we're doing the right thing but the truth is, we have no idea. We could be making a huge mistake and for all we know, something could get in the way. What we choose to do with those obstacles in life is what makes us grow as a person." **The fire was the first thing that came to mind, it torn the family apart and it took away our mom, our home and our ability to live an innocent life because once we learned what was truly out there, you're not really innocent anymore. The next obstacle I could think of was moving in with Aunt Nora. I was dead set against it but it eventually turned into a positive since I learned a lot of things during my stay in Canada.

"**There are so many adventures out there just waiting for us to take a chance, to take a risk and to just live life to the fullest as we found ourselves. It's better to do something and be wrong about it than to do nothing and regret it." **I knew I was being a hypocrite on that last part but I couldn't help it. There are certain aspects of life I'd rather remain in the 'what if' category because I'm too afraid of what reality would make of it. Revealing certain emotions to certain people is something I don't want to deal with right now, not at the chance of risking the already rocky dynamic between us. I can't afford any awkward moments at my expense. I took a pause as I looked to my peers.

"**I know my fellow graduates have mixed emotions about the future but I hope this advice comes in handy for them one day. Whatever you choose to do, from this point forward, just remember, take any opportunity you get, live like there is no tomorrow, live with no regrets and spend all your time enjoying something that you love. Don't forget the loving support you get from your family and friends because what is life if you can't share it with the people you love? **I raised an eyebrow to see if any one would object to the last part and I just saw a couple of nods of agreement and I couldn't help but smirk a little.

"**Someone told me that I have 'futuritis' but in a way, I think all graduates have that, even if they acknowledge it or not." **I couldn't help but chuckle a little as I quoted Derek from last night. It may not be a word, but what it represents does matter and I'm glad that Derek brought it up last night. I quietly clapped my hands together as I was planning to end off my speech.

"**So, graduates of Thompson High, it's time for us to embrace our fears, to stand up, to do something…..even if you risk making a total fool of yourself. I say thanks for everyone to everyone because we didn't get to this point alone. Graduates, it's been a pleasure, and who knows, we may run into each other in the future. Congratulations everyone and let the adventures begin ****because I'm not running****. Thank you." **

Once I said it was time my hands weren't together but in a pumped up movement as I gestured to the crowd as I was giving my thanks and ending the speech. I gave a confident smirk which turned into a smile as the applause broke out. I could hear graduates calling my name and I could have sworn I heard my brothers simultaneously call out 'yeah Casey' to me which made my smile widen.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Mr. Lassiter was making his way towards me as he was going to take over the podium but before he could dismiss me back to my seat in the first row of the graduates, the back door opened up with a disguised Edwin running through the auditorium to the stage, in his 'Edweirdo' wrestling outfit. I could only roll my eyes at Edwin's prank and I looked to Dean who was just very amused at the attempt. Sam, on the other hand, wasn't expecting that. I'm just thankful Edwin waited until after my speech because I didn't write any of it down. I did catch a glimpse of George's face and I think he paled when he saw that it was Edwin that was interrupting the ceremony. I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from laughing as Edwin was making weird sound effects.

"Yo!" Edwin greeted as he remained masked and standing only a few feet away from me.

"Who is that masked man?" The principal questioned as it sounded like he was going to loose his temper.

"I…am…..Edwin…Venturi." Edwin revealed as he slowly removed his mask.

"There's another one?" Mr. Lassiter looked furiously in George's direction and I saw him shrink down in his seat just a little.

"And I'll see you all in September! Venturi away!" Edwin took a bow before running off the stage with Mr. Lassiter closely behind him as he calls out "Come back here!" I had noticed that Ralph and Sam helped Edwin in his escape before they made their way to their assigned seats (thankfully they were at the end of their rows).

With the departure of Mr. Lassiter chasing Edwin, the crowd was talking about the ceremony's prank. I knew I had to do something so I raised my hands to get the voices to stop, repeatedly saying 'settle down'. Eventually it worked until all attention was back on me again.

"Well, I can't say that I wasn't expecting that but let's get this show on the road. I have a feeling some graduates just want to get their diploma already, am I right?" My answer was a round of applause from the graduates and I gave a small chuckle. "Alright then lets…." I was interrupted by the back door again but with Mr. Lassiter walking back through, all the audience's attention was on the principal. "Welcome back Mr. Lassiter. Shall we continue the ceremony?" I questioned while he made his way to the podium.

"Yes lets. I apologize for the interruption and thank you Casey for that wonderful speech." I nodded in appreciation before I headed to my seat in the front row. Graduates around me were whispering 'great job' or 'nicely done' and all I could do was say thank you.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Mr. Lassiter started calling the graduates up to receive their diploma alphabetically and everyone was clapping after each graduate went up to receive their diploma with most parents taking a picture of that moment when their child is handed their high school diploma.

My smile widened when the ones I've had memories with got their diploma.

"…..Noel Covington….." Noel was my costar in the spring play last year and we still remained friends after that whole miserable blind date thing that Derek and I tried to set up between him and Kendra. Noel is heading to Toronto to pursue a career in the performing arts or maybe in literature, he hadn't decided which since the last time we talked extensively.

"…..Emily Davis….." Emily has been there for me through practically everything and for that I'm truly grateful. There are a few things she doesn't know about me but other than that, she's been a great friend. Emily is going to Toronto in the Fall and I do hope I get some time to say goodbye to her this week.

"…..Truman French….." Truman was definitely something and even though I'm still mad at him for kissing cousin Victoria, it was because of him that I was able to blame my 'sudden' attitude change that brought me closer to myself yet some would say I would be acting like Dean. Either way it's who I am and I love it. Thankfully Truman is heading off to Halifax so the chances of me running into him again in the future are slim to none.

"…..Trevor Jones….." Although the friendship started out because of a bet, I'm glad to say that Trevor is a friend. He's a great guy and an excellent example of the common lesson 'don't judge a book by its cover' because Trevor is a sweet guy with a punk exterior. I think he's heading for Toronto as he continues his studies in human rights.

"…..Kendra Mason….." Even though it started off with her using me for a project and then to get to Derek, Kendra wasn't that bad. She did attempt to help me on occasion and it was kind of thanks to her that I met Max when I did. I don't know if Kendra would be considered a friend but she's definitely more than an acquaintance like some of my fellow graduates. I believe Kendra is staying in London as she goes after a career in fashion.

"…..Casey McDonald….." At the sound of my name I made my way to the stage to receive my diploma. I could already see Aunt Nora in place to take that picture and once Mr. Lassiter handed me the document, a flash went off. I thanked the principal before I made my way back down to my seat as the clapping continued. I caught a glimpse of my smiling brothers before I took my seat with a smile of my own.

"…..Max Miller….." Max and I haven't spoken that much since the break up but we don't have hard feelings like I do with Truman at the moment. Max ended up going back to his ex-girlfriend Amy a few weeks after our 'closure' ceremony. Thinking back, I'm kind of glad we didn't get back together because I didn't want to become the person I was when I was with him and because of other feelings I had for someone else. I think Max got a football scholarship to Western. I think if him and Derek went to the same school, their sports rivalry would have still continued.

"…..Ralph Papadapolis….." I was surprised that Ralph graduated (it was also a shock for the teachers) since he isn't the 'sharpest tool in the shed' but he is a great guy. It wasn't too long ago that I was told that Ralph was Derek but in a way, I'm kind of glad he wasn't Derek. I personally got to see what a guy Ralph is that one weekend he stayed over. He was great company and he got along really well with the McDonald-Venturis. Ralph is staying in London with Amanda, possibly going to community college maybe. Who knows, he might perfect his drumming abilities.

"…..Sam Richards….." Sam was accepting his diploma and I couldn't help but smile a little. A lot happened between Sam and I and I'm glad that we decided to remain friends. He was definitely supportive when I needed it and he tried getting Derek to back off on his torture on me so I should be thankful for that too. Sam got into Queens on a hockey scholarship. Maybe that's a possible school Derek was referring to.

There were a few more students before Mr. Lassiter was about to announce the last student, Derek.

"And, uh, last but certainly not least…." All of a sudden the auditorium lights go out and its pitch black in the room and stadium music is playing before "Derek Venturi" was announced like it would at an arena.

Suddenly the spotlights turn on and there in the limelight stood Derek Venturi. Everyone didn't know what to say but there were whispers and gasps throughout the crowd. A few moments later, Derek's student photo dropped down in the background like a fast-moving projection screen and he continued to smile like he was king of the world.

Smoke effects and wind effects surrounded Derek as he looked into the crowd of his fellow graduates. I could have sworn at one point he locked eyes with mine and he still held his smile. I couldn't help it but his name escaped my lips in awe. There clearly is only one Derek Venturi.

With help from Sam and Ralph, the graduates were chanting Derek's name as they raised their diplomas. I followed along because I too was impressed with his prank. I guess he wouldn't be Derek if he didn't enter his graduation like that and I'm glad he did decide to come.

Derek raises his hands to lower the chanting of his name before he spoke into his microphone. "My fellow graduates, we did it, so let's make some noise!" With that the graduates got up to head on stage to join Derek while Mr. Lassiter tried to get us all under control with no such luck. Balloons started to fall and some confetti as many of the graduates hugged each other to celebrate. I ended up hugging Emily, Sam, Ralph and I think I could have snuck a hug in from Derek if he didn't go talk to Mr. Lassiter.

Lizzie and Marti ended up joining us on stage as the rest of the parents remained seated as some of them laughed to the fact that their child just completed a milestone. I was jumping up and down after Lizzie hugged me and I couldn't help but wave at Aunt Nora and my brothers, who seem very pleased by our display of celebration. I couldn't believe it, I'm finally a high school graduate. I couldn't stop smiling.

**

* * *

Dean's POV**

By the time we got into the auditorium, mostly everyone was seated. I saw Casey heading for the stage while Sam dragged me to a spot against the back wall beside two other graduates, one of them didn't look like they were wearing pants. _Interesting._

Sam nudged me again in the gut and I just stared at him once again.

"Quit hitting me, once was enough."

"Quit spacing out then."

"You space out more than me." I retorted back.

"Yet you're doing it a lot today."

"Can you really blame me, I got a lot to think about and process."

"What's there to think about?"

"You serious Sammy? It's the first time in four years we get to see Casey, my mind is whirling, why isn't yours?"

"Oh, it's whirling, I can just multitask better than you."

"Oh shut up. Anyways, Casey's up." We remained silent as Casey headed towards the podium when she was called. I wish she was called 'Casey Winchester' but I knew it couldn't happen. Casey's eyes seemed to roam the crowd before she landed on us. We gave her thumbs up for encouragement because from what I could see, she was definitely nervous.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

Casey's speech was incredible and I couldn't believe that she considered that as wingin' it. If she hadn't called last night about ripping up her original speech, I would have thought that this was the one she spend days writing up. As we all clapped at the end of her speech I saw that confident smirk on her face and I knew that she felt like herself. I looked to Sam and he seemed to get the same idea as we both yelled 'yeah Casey' simultaneously. I couldn't help but chuckle as I saw her smile widened, I knew she heard us.

"It seems like your talk with her last night made her speech perfect."

"Thank you for noticing my contribution." I quipped as the clapping continued.

"You're impossible you know that." I could sense that Sam rolled his eyes at me but I held my gaze to the stage.

"I figured you'd be use to it by now."

"Whatever man….." Before Sam could finish his sentence there was this weird guy in a wrestling costume that burst through the doors close to us and he ran to the stage. I was highly amused since he practically looked like a homemade superhero only kids dream of becoming. The kid had great timing because if he interrupted my sister's speech, I think I was going to have to pound him.

"Who is that masked man?" The principal questioned as it sounded like he was going to loose his temper.

"I…am…..Edwin…Venturi." Edwin revealed as he slowly removed his mask. My eyes widened at the last name….._it couldn't be._

"Do you think that's-" Sam whispered but was interrupted once again.

"There's another one?" Mr. Lassiter looked furiously to a guy who just sunk down in his seat just a little.

"And I'll see you all in September! Venturi away!" Edwin took a bow before running off the stage with Mr. Lassiter closely behind him as he calls out "Come back here!" The two graduates close by earlier rushed to open the door for the prankster's escape before they made their way to their seats with the other graduates. _Guess that's why they were back here._

"I'm guessing we just met stepbrother number two." I stated as I looked around the distracted crowd.

"I assume no one was expecting that."

"Except for Casey."

"What do you mean?" Sam turned to me for answers as Casey tried to calm the crowd.

"She looked like she was expecting something to happen. I'm just glad it was after her speech." I explained.

"Me too." Sam agreed. The principal walked back in at that time and took his place at the podium where he apologized to the crowd and praised Casey for her speech before she left the stage to her new seat.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

The principal started calling students up to get their diplomas and I knew it would be awhile until Casey was called.

"She was amazing, wasn't she? I can't believe she thought of most of that on the spot." I broke the silence between me and Sam as we continued to clap when the others did.

"Yeah, she may have changed during the past four years but it still looks like she has the same insight about the future. Pros and cons with what we do and all."

"Can't really blame her, she's finally had a taste of a normal life while we've had it before the fire."

"Yeah I guess you're right."

"I always am." I said back as a reflex. It was a few seconds later that Sam's words registered in my head. "She may have changed? No Sam, she has definitely changed in the past four years."

"Physically yes but she's still the same old Casey." Sam tried to reason but I wasn't going to have any of that. My role as a brother has just doubled its list of responsibilities like watching out for her dates or making sure no guy took advantage of her.

"No, she's the same old Casey with a teenage girl's internal hard drive." Sam raised an eyebrow at me.

"Are you even listening to what your saying Dean? Internal hard drive?" Sam smirked and I had to groan while I continued to clap.

"You know what I mean. Grown up Casey is gorgeous, just like mom, and she still has that attitude of hers. How the hell am I gonna keep the guys off her?" I've always been protective of Casey growing up, it just so happens that now it's going to be turned up a notch.

"Compliments and some paranoia Dean, wow." Sam quipped and it was getting annoying.

"Shut up. I know you're worried too." I told him and he just nodded but before he spoke, the principal's voice stopped him.

"…..Casey McDonald….." Both Sam and I were smiling as we watched Casey get up on stage to receive her diploma. I saw a woman get out from the aisle and position herself to take a picture just like some of the parents had previously done. I could only assume that it was Aunt Nora until she took Casey's picture. I was clapping louder as she scanned the crowd again to find us and she smiled to us before getting back to her seat.

"Yeah I am but I'm not overreacting. She can take care of herself in that department." Sam continued on with our discussion.

"She shouldn't have to." I replied back.

"But she's proven that she can take care of herself these past four years. After living with _you_ she knows how to deal with guys." Sam did have a good point. Casey has already been introduced with dating when she stayed here and growing up with us got her exposed to the 'parental approved' and the 'parental disapproved' behaviors of a guy. So it would be safe to say that she knows what certain moves from a guy meant, right? I sure hope so; I'd have to clarify with her later.

"It just seems like she's growing up too fast." I simply stated.

"Yeah, she was only fifteen the last time we saw her."

Before I could bring up that I had missed Casey, the lights in the auditorium went out and it was pitch black. I was hoping that it wasn't a demon but those thoughts were gone once I heard the stadium music playing followed by a male voice announcing "Derek Venturi" as if we were at some sport's arena. _Oh boy. _

Suddenly the spotlights turn on and there in the limelight stood the guy Casey danced with during the contest weeks ago, Derek Venturi. Everyone didn't know what to say but there were whispers and gasps throughout the crowd. A few moments later, Derek's student photo dropped down in the background like a fast-moving projection screen and he continued to smile like he was king of the world. _That's some kid. _

"Looks like stepbrother number one knows how to make an entrance." I couldn't help but say with a smirk while Sam gave a slight chuckle.

"Seems like Casey wasn't exaggerating when she said the Venturis were pranksters. Kind of like you, Dean." I had to give a small laugh to that as some of our memories involving our prank wars came flooding back.

"Good times."

Smoke effects and wind effects surrounded Derek as he looked into the crowd of his fellow graduates. I could have sworn at one point he stalled in Casey's direction but I couldn't really tell from back here but he was still smiling.

The graduates started chanting Derek's name as they raised their diplomas. I couldn't help but think that Casey wasn't exaggerating once again when she said that Derek was basically 'King of the School.' This just proved that this guy had a way with people.

Derek raises his hands to lower the chanting of his name before he spoke into his microphone. "My fellow graduates, we did it, so let's make some noise!" With that the graduates got up to head on stage to join Derek while the principal tried to get them all under control with no such luck. Balloons started to fall and some confetti as many of the graduates hugged each other to celebrate. I saw Casey hug a few guys and I think she tried to hug Derek too but I doubt it happened since she did mention that he had a 'no hugging' policy.

Lizzie and another little girl ended up joining Casey and the others on stage as the rest of the parents remained seated as some of them laughed to the fact that their child just graduated. _If only dad were here to see this. _I saw Casey start jumping up and down with excitement as if she was a little girl on Christmas morning again and I couldn't help but smile. In so many ways Casey has grown up but in others, she's still my Baby Girl. I'm glad that some things will never change with my baby sister.

"That was some ending." Sam complimented as we watched the scene unfold before us.

"Yeah, but it looks like Casey will be awhile, let's head outside. Too many parents for my liking." I suggested as I headed towards the door as some parents were getting out of their seats to find their respective teenager.

"No wonder you have that rule." I rolled my eyes as Sam followed behind me.

"Geez you think? Now come on." I replied with sarcasm before getting serious. I never liked parents because they always think they have authority over everyone who's younger than them plus they are always sizing you up. It's annoying.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

Once we reached the Impala, I took out my cell phone, ready to text Casey that we were outside. I wasn't expecting her to text back immediately but at least she'd know we didn't just bail.

"You regret it right? The years we've missed?" I broke the silence a few moments later as I leaned on my car as Sam paced in front of me. My question caused him to stop in his place and looked at me. He knew then that I was being serious. We never really talked much about the years we weren't allowed to call Casey.

"Yeah, maybe if we all fought harder against Dad's order, maybe things would have been different." Sam finally answered to which I only nodded.

"Yeah maybe but then Casey wouldn't have had this experience and you know it." I countered and he only sighed.

"I know, I just can't help but wonder." There was silence again and I was tempted to go into my car and put some of my classic rock music on but I resisted as I saw some people leaving the school.

"Do you really think she fell in love with him?" I blurted out before I realized what I said.

"Who knows, she's only nineteen but we could always observe the two of them together. Compare it to couples we know." Sam suggested. I think the question caught him off guard since I usually avoided the 'love' subject but if it involves Casey, I'll talk emotions if I have to. If it is the real deal for Casey, I don't know what's going to happen when we have to leave next week.

"Like mom and dad?"

"Well it would be harder for me to remember but yeah basically." Sam sighed.

"Alright then, enough of that, I see Casey and Aunt Nora coming this way." I informed Sam so that there wasn't a chance for Casey to overhear our conversation. He nodded in response as Casey got closer and closer.

**

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Derek's POV**

I hid backstage as everyone was getting into position but no one could see me. Before anyone came in, I made an easy path from backstage to both the hallway and the center of the stage. I couldn't wait to pull my prank so before I knew it, Mr. Lassiter was announcing for Casey to make her speech. I noticed that she was a little tense and nervous before she began. I was tempted to just ignore her boring speech but a part of me wanted to know what she came up with, with only one night of working on it. It usually wasn't like Casey to do things at the last minute, that sounds more like me but I usually pay Edwin to do the work on such short notice.

"**Good afternoon parents, teachers and my fellow graduates." **_Typical Casey intro. _

"**I was supposed to give this inspiring speech about the future but I don't really know where to start. For one, I am excited for the future but the truth is I'm also scared." **I couldn't believe that Casey actually admitted to weakness in front of everyone, she rarely does that. I tried to concentrate on her words as I peeked around the curtains that still covered me.

"**I'm scared about leaving this part of my life behind, scared to say goodbye, scared for change in general because the future is unpredictable, unexpected, unreliable to a point that everything can change in an instant, whether it's a good change or a bad change, no one knows. The point though is that you choose what to make of it. It's up to us to decide how we want to live our lives." **I couldn't help but think that she did have a point. I'm scared of those things too but I'll never admit them. I've always been 'King of the School' and next year, I'll be in a bigger school with so many people that have never heard of me before. _Intimidating right?_

"**See we make all these plans and we hope we're doing the right thing but the truth is, we have no idea. We could be making a huge mistake and for all we know, something could get in the way. What we choose to do with those obstacles in life is what makes us grow as a person." **Typical Casey but she's right…..another thing I won't admit.

"**There are so many adventures out there just waiting for us to take a chance, to take a risk and to just live life to the fullest as we found ourselves. It's better to do something and be wrong about it than to do nothing and regret it." **I couldn't help but scoff to myself when Casey mentioned taking a risk and living a full life. That sounds just odd coming from a keener like Casey who thrives on order and preparations._ What does she know about taking risks?_

"**I know my fellow graduates have mixed emotions about the future but I hope this advice comes in handy for them one day. Whatever you choose to do, from this point forward, just remember, take any opportunity you get, live like there is no tomorrow, live with no regrets and spend all your time enjoying something that you love. Don't forget the loving support you get from your family and friends because what is life if you can't share it with the people you love?" **_Impressive advice. _

"**Someone told me that I have 'futuritis' but in a way, I think all graduates have that, even if they acknowledge it or not."**I couldn't help but smile from the mention of our disagreement last night. It seems like she does pay attention after all.

"**So, graduates of Thompson High, it's time for us to embrace our fears, to stand up, to do something…..even if you risk making a total fool of yourself. I say thanks for everyone to everyone because we didn't get to this point alone. Graduates, it's been a pleasure, and who knows, we may run into each other in the future. Congratulations everyone and let the adventures begin ****because I'm not running****. Thank you." **

As Casey ended her speech and the audience was clapping, I had to resist the urge to clap too. Through her speech, I noticed Casey never looking down and if I really thought about it, she didn't have any cue cards with her when she approached the podium. "Quite impressive Case," I whispered to myself as I slipped out into the hallway once I saw Mr. Lassiter get out of Casey's original seat.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I knew Edwin would be interrupting the ceremony at this point so I rushed to get in place in Mr. Lassiter's office as I was suppose to wait for Edwin. It wasn't until I took a seat in the principal's chair did I hear accelerated footsteps in the hallway. I couldn't help but smirk since I knew it was Mr. Lassiter chasing Edwin down. I was confirmed when the footsteps came to a stop in front of the office door.

"Principal Lassiter, we haven't been formally introduced." I could Edwin say outside the door.

"Oh I think we'll have lots of time to get to know each other…..You can take a seat in Derek's chair, Edwin. Or should I call you, Derek Jr.?" I rolled my eyes at Mr. Lassiter's attempt to seem intimidating to Edwin as I had my back turned from the door.

"That's the coolest thing anyone has ever called me!" I was amused by Edwin's enthusiasm and I shortly heard the door opened followed by a click. I slowly turned around to see only Edwin standing by the door. I glanced down at my watch.

"Eleven seconds late…not bad for a rookie." I loosened up at the end as I was impressed for Edwin's first prank at Thompson High. Edwin smiled at my approval while still catching his breath.

"Thanks Bro but shouldn't you be getting into position?" Edwin pointed out and I glanced at my watch again. Mr. Lassiter would have started the ceremony up again by now. I slowly got out of the principal's chair and headed for the door.

"That I should, come on Ed." Edwin followed me back to backstage where he stood by the switchboard for the lights and the controls for the sound system in the auditorium. Edwin was supposed to return back to the off once I mad my final announcement so that Mr. Lassiter didn't give him more trouble. No need to have Edwin expelled from Thompson High before he started.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I was now in the same spot I was less than 15 minutes ago when Casey gave her speech. Mr. Lassiter had just given Trevor Jones his diploma when I arrived so I took the time to double all that was around me. I signaled to Edwin to make sure he was set (which he was) before I turned to my own graduation gown that I put off to the side. By the time I finished putting the gown on, Casey was called out to get her diploma. I snuck a peak and saw that Nora was taking a few pictures. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the typical parental action.

It wasn't long before Ralph and Sam got their diplomas. I was amused that Ralph wasn't wearing any pants, the guy could be really clueless most of the time but it was always funny. I was the last of all the students which was fine by me, can't have anyone coming after me now can we? I quickly grabbed the turned off microphone that was still connected to the sound system as I waited for Mr. Lassiter's attempt to introduce me.

"And, uh, last but certainly not least…." Edwin cut Mr. Lassiter off as he flicked all of the auditorium lights off, causing the room to be pitch black in darkness. I used that opportunity to sneak out to the middle of the stage. Meanwhile Edwin started playing the stadium music I burned on the CD that played before my name was announced like it would at an arena. _Did you expect anything else?_

I was standing proud and ready as Edwin flicked the spotlights on to me as I gave a cocky smile to the crowd which was followed by many gasps and whispers. It was seconds later that my huge photo descended in the background like a fast-moving projection thanks to Edwin's help (he pulled the rope).

I continued to smile as I looked into the crowd as my smoke and wind effects were still in action. I knew Mr. Lassiter was freaking out by the podium but I didn't care once I spotted Casey. Her expression surprised me the most, I thought she would have one of those 'Derek-I-can't-believe-you-did-that' type of face but I could have sworn that she looked impressed as if she approved. That just kept me smiling because for once I wasn't going to get a lecture from her about my pranks.

As everyone started chanting my name, I got a glimpse of two guys in the back that I haven't seen before but they both seemed pretty amused. _Guess they know a good prank when they see one._ I swear, at one point I thought I heard my dad chant my name too. I bet Nora isn't too happy about that.

I calmed the crowd down before I turned on my microphone. "My fellow graduates, we did it, so let's make some noise!" With that the graduates got up to head on stage to join me while Mr. Lassiter tried to get us all under control with no such luck. Balloons started to fall and some confetti as many of the graduates hugged each other to celebrate. A lot of people came up to praise me on my prank as I side-hugged some of my teammates and high-fived others before making my way over to Mr. Lassiter to get my diploma.

"Derek Venturi, how could you?" Mr. Lassiter grabbed my shoulder as he tried to scold me. He's the one to blame for putting the prank idea in my head.

"Oh c'mon, loosen up Lassie." I quipped back as I knocked a balloon out of the way. Mr. Lassiter just tried pointing a finger at me as he fumbled on his words.

"Why you-oh, what the heck-ski." Mr. Lassiter raised his fist and I gave in to a pound before he handed me my diploma. "Here" I nodded a thank you before turning back to my fellow graduates.

Everyone was hyper and dancing at this point and I was eventually tackled by Marti who joined us on stage with Lizzie (I assume she found Casey). I carried Marti and danced with her in my arms while the parents remained seated. I think I saw my dad and Nora laughing, possibly forgetting my prank at the moment. I couldn't keep the excitement down as I was finally done with high school. _Let the adventures begin. _

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**A/N #4: **How was it? I didn't know Trevor's last name so I made one up plus at one point the series said Kendra was in the grade ahead of them but she was still on the show when Casey and Derek were in their senior year so I assume she's in the same boat as Derek was (failed a grade). Next chapter is when Derek meets Sam and Dean Winchester and it's going to be something. **Question: Would you rather see their dinner at home (like on the show) or at a restaurant? I think I could show Dean's womanizing ways at a restaurant ;D**

**A/N #5: **Usually I won't do three POVs but I originally had Derek eavesdropping on Sam and Dean but then that didn't really work out with his prank AND I wanted that specific discussion between the Winchester brothers. Sorry if it seemed repetitive at some parts but I'll try to minimize that as we move further on.

**A/N #6: **I just saw "Vacation with Derek" and it's amazing! I don't want to give it away but there were **so many** possible DASEY moments that I was seriously squealing when I saw them. You actually see Derek and Casey as they usually are as well as laughing and having fun with each other too! I already have so many one shot ideas to make Dasey but I have to watch it again. There are age inconsistencies but I definitely loved it when Casey made a decision (so many options for us fanfic writers!) I couldn't help but he a Casey/Jesse fan too.

**A/N #7: **Back to my story, thanks again for reading this chapter, please review and tell me what you think and I'll get started on the next chapter! **THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE! **Have a great weekend!

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Originally Published: **June 26, 2010

(TOTALLY freaky, I just realized that it's the same date I had the ceremony take place on just 6 years ago)**  
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	4. Ch 3: Going Picture Crazy

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 3: Going Picture Crazy  
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**A/N #1: **First off, "Happy 4th of July" or "Happy Canada Day"! Secondly, I just want to say **thank you** for all the people that read, reviewed and alerted this story. It really means a lot to me. **You Readers & Reviewers ROCK!****  
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**A/N #2:** Sadly everyone, I start school again tomorrow =(. So that is my reason for this really long chapter, I think it's my longest up to date on this site. I'll try to write some more for this story and for my other ones but it would have to be on the weekends so I apologize in advance if it's a really long wait for any updates from me (School comes first right? Especially when I have to pay for it now).

**A/N #3:** A reason that this chapter is so long is because of the picture descriptions. I wish I could just photoshop some up and just place a link on my profile but I can't so hopefully the descriptions are good enough that you could picture them yourself. So **Enjoy!**

**QUESTION: **I'm debating about whether I should change the category and place it under the 'crossover' option or do you think I should leave it in 'LWD fandom' for now?

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

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Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Casey's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

As parents started to collect their respective graduate, flashes from cameras started going off while there was still chaos in the auditorium. There were flashes going off everywhere as everyone was taking pictures with their family and friends. I took a few pictures with Emily, a few with Noel and Max (for memory purposes), and a few with Sam, Ralph and Derek for the 'D-Rock' times we had, as well as a few separate ones with Sam and Ralph. I tried keeping the goodbyes vague because I wasn't sure if I was going to see them tonight.

I also took one with just Lizzie, then just Aunt Nora and then the both together before I took one with each and every one of the Venturis before taking a big Venturi photo. George was doing the same with Derek after grabbing Edwin from the principal's office (and waiting for him to change out of his costume) while Aunt Nora was doing my photos.

When Aunt Nora went to George to tell him her next photo idea, I faintly heard my phone buzz with a text message. It was Lizzie who confirmed that she heard the buzz too. I took out my phone and read the text message from Dean saying that they were outside by the Impala as they waited. My smile had widened from all the excitement as the reminder of my brothers' presence was made. Lizzie noticed.

"Is everything okay Casey?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? Today has been perfect!" I exclaimed as the smile remained on my face. Lizzie just smiled with a nod before the rest of the family returned.

Aunt Nora and George wanted one of Derek and me together without fighting and just being graduates and surprisingly Derek didn't fight with it and took the photos with me before Aunt Nora and George joined in on their respective sides. We finally took a family picture with help from a fellow parent before I dragged Aunt Nora away from the others.

"Is everything alright Case?"

"Yeah, it's just that the guys are outside. So can we go see them now?" I practically begged and she just smiled.

"Alright Casey." Aunt Nora told me before I started walking away to give my gown back to one of the teachers but I saw Aunt Nora turning towards George to tell him where we would be. George just nodded as he was looking at Derek's diploma as Derek chatted with Sam and Ralph.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

As soon as we got in sight of the Impala, I could see Sam standing there while Dean was leaning against his beloved car. I quickly walked up to my brothers (I can't run in heels) and I was instantly in Sam's arms in a hug as he lifted me off the ground and twirled me around. I let a small squeal escape (causing both Sam and Dean to laugh) as my arms instantly wrapped around his neck as I tried not to crush the diploma in my hands. I could see a flash go off behind me as I assumed it was Aunt Nora that was taking the candid photo.

"Casey, you were amazing!" Sam excitedly announced as he placed me down. Luckily I wasn't dizzy but Sam twirled me around to look at Dean who still held a huge smile on his face.

"Congratulations Graduate!" Dean declared before pulling me into his arms as he hugged me tightly. I couldn't help but laugh at all the excitement and once again, another flash went off in the distance.

"Thanks, I'm finally free!" I happily stated as I pulled out of Dean's arms.

"Yes, you are. Welcome to the club." Dean smirked as he raised his hand towards my head. I immediately stepped back from his reach, knowing that he was going to mess up my hair. I had my arms up giving him a don't-you-even-think-about-it look causing Sam to laugh. Dean tilted his head to the side with an amusing look.

"Do not mess up my hair Dean."

"Wasn't planning on it." He simply shrugged and I just glared. "Fine, I won't think about it anymore." I relaxed as Dean stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket. I walked back to where I stood between my brothers and brought their attention to my rolled up diploma.

"Check this out you guys." I stated as I started undoing the diploma string. My brothers moved closer as they looked over my shoulder to see what was written inside my diploma. I immediately heard twin gasps from behind me when the document was completely flat and I just smirked to myself.

"How'd you get it to say _Casey Winchester_?" Dean was the first to ask.

"Yeah, they announced you as _Casey McDonald_ throughout the whole ceremony." Sam added.

"Well it happened like this….."

**[FLASHBACK]**

_It was a week before spring break and I had decided to have my session with Paul and not complain about Derek. I had other matters to discuss. _

"_Hey Paul, nice day isn't it?" I casually asked as I walked into my counselor's office, taking a seat in my regular chair. _

_I never intended to go to Paul's sessions in the beginning but they turned out to be a great way to vent about anything which usually involved Derek. I didn't realize that reoccurring fact until after my discovery so maybe Paul knew before I did. Anyways, not the point, but Paul continued to look at me strangely but I just waited for him to gather his thoughts. _

"_Casey, you seem….happier than when you usually come to see me. No Derek problems?"_

"_There will always be a Derek problem Paul, we both know that." I simply stated causing Paul to give a slight shrug in agreement. "I actually wanted to talk about graduation, if that is okay."_

"_Sure, no problem, anything specific that you wanted to discuss?" Paul asked as he placed his hands together and elbows on his desk, like he always does when he's listening. _

"_I was wondering if it was too late to change the name that would appear on my diploma." Paul gave me a puzzling look before lower his hands onto his desk._

"_Change your name? The name on your diploma is the one on your transcript which is your legal name. Unless you legally changed it and informed us, it would still read _Casey McDonald._" He stated and I slowly had a grin forming. _

"_My name change just got finalized." Paul's eyes widened._

"_What!" Thankfully he wasn't drinking his coffee._

"_Well, I asked my mom when I turned seventeen if I could legally change my last name to my mom's maiden name. I just got notice that it's officially finalized as of last week." I simply explained leaving out that I'm about to turn nineteen, not eighteen, in less than two months. It wasn't like I was lying about the name. Aunt Nora's maiden name is my original last name._

"_Okay, so what is it?" I could see the curiosity in his eyes. It wasn't written anywhere in my file what Aunt Nora's maiden name was. She kept 'McDonald' after divorcing Uncle Dennis since it wasn't that long ago…..maybe a year or two before I moved in with her and Lizzie._

"_Winchester. My new legal name is Casey Winchester." I proudly stated as Paul wrote the request in my file. _

"_May I ask why you considered the name change in the first place?"_

"_Winchester sounds more empowering compared to McDonald, don't you think?" I tilted my head slightly, silently questioning me to defy my reasoning. It also was because Winchester is also the name of a gun while McDonald just reminds me of the restaurant. _

"_I guess…..but wouldn't the change have something to do with your father?" Paul's question didn't faze me, so it didn't show on my face but instead I still held my grin in place. I knew Paul would want a psychological reason behind my actions. _

"_Maybe but I also have another request." I quickly added causing Paul to stop his writing as I cleverly diverted the subject of why. _

"_Okay. Shoot."_

"_Can the teachers still refer to me as Casey McDonald in class and at the graduation ceremony? I don't want the questions of why I changed my name and the school knows me as a McDonald so three more months won't make a difference. Right?" I was a little nervous because I really wanted this to work out the way I wanted it to._

"_Then why change it now?" Paul's hands were now crossed over his chest as he leaned back a bit. _

"_I want my diploma to have my new name. So can the staff do that? Can they still refer to me as Casey McDonald even though my file will now say Casey Winchester?" I practically pleaded to him with my eyes and thankfully he caved with a nod. "Thank you Paul." I started to get up and head towards the door. "You don't know how much that means to me." I smiled before bidding him a good day. _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

"So you've known for three months that _Winchester_ would be on your diploma?" Sam asked as Dean continued to stare at me and my real name on my diploma.

"Yes."

"Impressive…..never thought you'd do that." Dean complimented with a sly grin as I smirked back at him. I say another flash go off in my peripheral vision but I just ignored it as I started to roll my diploma back up.

"Expect the unexpected Dean." I simply quoted back as I tied the ribbon that came with my diploma. Dean gave a small chuckle and I think Sam smirked too. I think they knew that I wasn't just referring to that but to everything else that has happened to us.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"You three ready to pose for some pictures?" Aunt Nora asked as she stepped closer to me and my brothers.

"Might as well. How do you want them?" Dean shrugged as he started to lean against the Impala once again.

"Impala in the background for sure and let's start off with Dean and Casey." Aunt Nora suggested as she got the camera ready. I moved to stand closer to Dean while Sam moved to get behind Aunt Nora as he was now holding my diploma.

The first photo was of Dean with his arm on the roof of the Impala where the passenger door was while I stood in front of the side mirror with my right arm resting on Dean's left shoulder as I was slightly turned towards him. There were a few flashes before Aunt Nora told us the next set up which had out backs completely against the passenger side's door.

Dean had his right arm around my shoulder as if giving me a sideways hug but my arms were around his waist as if I were giving him a proper hug. I was slightly turned into Dean as he slowly lowered his arm so that he could now grip the top of my right arm lightly, having his silver ring visible in the picture like how my silver charm bracelet was present on my right wrist. With the way Dean was gripping my arm lightly, it kind of reminded me of all the times Derek did that to me like when we both worked at Smelly Nellie's or when we were at school in the hallways. I remained smiling through many of the repeated shots (due to the Derek memories and the fact pictures were being taken) and I knew Dean was smiling too because of the grin that was forming on Sam's face.

"Having fun Dean?" Sam quipped and I rolled my eyes as Sam gave a soft chuckle. I look up to see that Dean was giving him a death glare. Dean really doesn't like his picture taken when he's all dressed up.

"Lighten up Dean, you don't have to look like a Blues Brother for much longer." I grinned and Dean's head snapped down to glare at me but I say that mischievous glint in his eyes that I know all too well.

"Telling a pseudo Blues Brother to lighten up are we?" I gave my brother a cheeky grin before he gave me one of his own. "I'll lighten things up."

The next thing I know, Dean's arms are around my waist and he's lifting me in the air. I couldn't help but laugh as he slowly turned me around. Dean started laughing too while flashes were going off. After a few candid shots, Dean attempted to put me down but my feet were only on the floor for a second before Dean swiftly lifted me once again, carrying me bridal style, my arms instantly snaked around his neck.

"Don't drop me Dean." I whispered to him and I got a soft chuckle as a reply.

"You're not that much heavier than before Case plus four years of hunting has done the body good, you know?" Dean smirked and I rolled my eyes after a flash was seen in my peripheral vision.

"I think you can do a close up shot with that one Aunt Nora." Sam suggested and I looked back at the camera, watching Sam cross his arms while holding his own smirk as Aunt Nora positioned the camera once again.

A few of those shots were taken before Dean gently let me down. The next pose had Dean and me side by side with me on Dean's right but with me slightly in front of him. Dean would have his right arm around my waist (you could still see the silver ring) as I placed my own right hand on top of his, having both rings very close together. My left hand was on my hip and Dean's left hand was slightly on top of it, almost mirroring my right side. I was smiling wide at the camera and as Aunt Nora slowly counted down, it was right before she said 'cheese' that I felt Dean kiss the top left side of my head and holding it for two shots. I saw that 'aww' look on Aunt Nora's face as well as a smile on Sam's. I had a feeling that **that** shot of me and Dean would be one of my favorites.

Dean never liked showing any emotions but to have him show how much he cared for me, his little sister, and allow someone to capture with a picture, I absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very independent and strong-willed girl, most of my fellow graduates would say that I was a feminist at heart, but I will always love it when my brothers openly showed their emotions and protective nature towards me in public (up to a certain point of course). It reminds me that we aren't just hunters doing a job together, but that we are siblings…..a family that is doing what is necessary to survive in this world. Hunting may take a lot of things away from us, but it's because of hunting that our sibling bond is as strong as it is. We don't take each other for granted, we'd do anything for one another and we're always there for each other. Even with the distance between us for the past four years, they were still there for me, whether with a phone call or through email, they were still there for me. Sometimes we even broke the order our Dad gave us just to hear one another's voice, just to know for ourselves that the other is still alive.

I think I was openly staring up at Dean at this point but it was the squeeze by my side that caused me to jerk a bit. Dean smirked before asking if I was alright. I just smiled and thanked him. His smirk turned to a grin as he said "anything for you Baby Girl."

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"Now Sam, switch with Dean." I heard Aunt Nora command as Dean slowly loosened his grip and switched spots with Sam. Sam also passed my diploma to Dean as he got into position beside me as we repeated the same pose that I first held with Dean but with the Impala remaining in the back as it was. Aunt Nora continued to take multiple shots of the same pose before telling us to change it up.

Sam got directly behind me and draped his arms around my neck while he lowered himself. Sam was resting his head on top of mine while I held onto his wrists. I bet we looked like a totem pole because Dean wouldn't stop smirking as his arms were crossed over his chest.

A few shots later, Sam lowered down even more so that our ears were touching (as if his head was resting on my shoulder) and his hold on me tightened as if he was hugging me around my neck. I continued to hold his wrists in front of me as I assume Aunt Nora was taking these ones as close up shots. After the flashes I heard a groan from Sam before he straightened up as he gently rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're still short you know that Case?" Sam joked while I heard Dean scoff.

"It's not my fault you're just freakishly tall." I argued back with a victorious grin.

"She's got you there Sammy." Dean added in with an amusing expression written across his face. Sam chuckles as he pulls me lightly towards him as he says "come here" as he brought me into a big hug. I could hear the click from the camera before facing it as I was met with a flash. After a few shots, I twirled a little in Sam's arms so that I was facing the camera more and it wasn't long before Sam followed our big brother and kissed me at the top of my head.

Sam loosened his grip once Aunt Nora lowered the camera and told Dean to come join us once again for more photos. Sam shuffled to my right while Dean took his position on my left.

"Stealing my big brother moves aren't we Sammy boy?" Dean teased causing both me and Sam to laugh a little so only the three of us could hear. My arms went around both my brothers' waist as I pulled them in closer while Dean's right arm went around my waist like before as Sam's left arm went around my shoulders. Dean still held onto my diploma as the next set of flashes went off.

Aunt Nora kept giving off compliments and 'aww'-ing about how cute we all looked as a family that's 'all grown up'. I couldn't help but feel a little dread since our mom should be the one in Aunt Nora's place with dad by her side as we all celebrated this moment as a family….not like how it was now with no mom in our lives and our dad being absent. I sighed and I knew that my brothers knew that my mood had shifted.

"You couldn't have burned all that excitement off by now Case, we still have a whole day of celebrating to do." Sam piped up.

"That's right, we're going to have fun doing….what is it that you can do in this town?" Dean questioned as he came up blank. I gave a soft laugh as a smile started to form once again on my face.

"I'll think of something." I smirked and both my brothers laughed. _I guess they saw. _Flashes went off once again before Aunt Nora gave the signal to switch it up. I removed my arms as Dean moved closer to embrace me in a hug, still remaining on my left side. Sam covered my right side as he wrapped his right arm around my waist as his left arm went around Dean's shoulder. I felt like I was in a protective two layer brother cocoon as I placed my right hand on top of Sam's forearm (the one around my waist) with my bracelet and ring in full view as my left hand hung onto Dean's forearm (that cut across my chest). Multiple shots were taken and once I released my grip on their forearms, they loosened their grip on me as I started to shuffle in place due to my heels starting to really hurt my feet.

"I'm all for pictures but a girl can only stand in heels for so long." I whined a little causing my two brothers to grin. _Those lucky bums!_

"Aww, what's wrong Baby Girl? You tired already?" Dean gave a sly smirk as he teased me.

"No but you would be annoyed too if you had to be in heels." I argued as I formed a pout.

"Thankfully, I never have to know what that feels like." Dean quipped and I just crossed my arms over my chest as I gave Aunt Nora a pleading glance but she just shook her head with her own amusing grin.

"It's like Casey is fighting with an older version of Derek." Aunt Nora's comment caused Dean to instantly turn to glare in her direction.

"I'm nothing like him and if I were, it's him acting like me, not the other way around." Dean hissed. I tried to stifle a giggle. Dean always prided himself in being his own person and doing things the way he wanted to so the idea that he was acting like someone else (when he was just himself) didn't really go over too well with him.

"Can't wait to see you two in the same room together." Sam amusingly quipped and got Dean's attention away from our aunt.

Unlike Sam's obvious amusement to see Dean and Derek in the same room, I was dreading it. I knew Dean was going to go all 'protective big brother to the extreme' when it came to Derek since they have so much in common with their behaviors that it still scares me at times. Like how did I fall for someone that acts very similar to my older brother? I still don't know the answer to that.

"Shut up Sammy."

"Dean, please refrain from that kind of language when you're around the younger children later." Aunt Nora pleaded but I knew she wasn't going to get it. The younger ones were already use to it from Derek (well except for Marti). I could see Sam was trying to hold in his laughter from the sight of Dean being reprimanded for his behavior, which only occurs when we're near Dad or Bobby.

"I don't guarantee a thing." Aunt Nora sighed.

"Alright then but you're gonna hate me now Dean….." My brothers gave our aunt a questioning look while I quirked an eyebrow at her as she held a smirk very similar to Dad's own. "…..How about both you and Sam lower down to kiss Casey on the cheek. Show the sibling love." I couldn't help but giggle at Dean's discomfort as Sam rolled his eyes at our big brother's behavior.

"You're right, I hate you now." Dean stated while holding a menacing front but we all knew he didn't mean it.

"Come on Dean, can't you cast your tough guy attitude aside and be the big brother for today?" I couldn't help but play the little sister guilt card on him. It's been too long since I used it.

"I've always been the big brother, right Sammy?" Dean instantly stated, looking to Sam at the last part.

"Of a girl?" I raised an eyebrow as I stated that. _Leave it to Dean to go all literal on me. _

"Well…..I have been deprived of that for years." Dean put on an act as if he thought it over for awhile but he grinned down at me.

"I missed it." Sam joined in with a smile.

"I missed having big brothers." I smiled back at them and I could feel that the happy tears may come out at any second.

"Well then…..how's this?" Dean quickly picked me up and placed me over his shoulder as he slowly started to twirl me around. Thankfully one of Dean's hands had my dress pinned to my leg, otherwise I thought the movement might have it blown upwards.

"Ahh! Dean, put me down! That tickles." I giggled since one of Dean's hands were slightly near the back of my knee, which was always ticklish and both my brothers knew that. When I was younger, they would always tickle me whenever I was in need for a pick-me-up.

"What? And miss this candid opportunity for Aunt Nora….never." Dean playfully added while I saw the flashes from the camera continuously going off.

"Dean, you can put her down before her face turns red." Sam finally got out as he was trying to calm his own laughter.

"Wreck my fun why don't you Sammy." Dean whined be he slowly put me down, having his arms beside me just in case I felt dizzy. I could feel Sam's hand at the small of my back doing the same thing. I took a few deep breaths before I nodded that I was okay and I could feel the excess blood leaving my face.

"You good?" Sam questioned when stepping closer to my right. I was straightening out my dress as Dean moved closer to my left.

"Yup, now you really have to do the photo." I smirked while Dean groaned.

I had my hands on my hips as I stared straight at Aunt Nora. I could feel Dean's arm snake around my waist and Sam's arm snaked around my shoulder like before. I could Aunt Nora counting down as I felt my brothers' breath on my ears. Dean whispered 'only for you' and my smile widened. I love the power I had over my brothers sometimes.

Aunt Nora took three kiss shots. One with Sam and Dean simultaneously kissing my cheeks, one with Sam kissing my cheek while Dean kissed my temple and the last one with them in the reversed positions. Aunt Nora mentioned taking a few more before she would let us go and I was feeling relieved. I could finally go and catch up with my brothers and get out of these heels.

"Can I be on the Impala for the last few?" I turned to look at Dean, hoping my puppy dog eyes were working on him. Dean just closed his eyes as he sighed.

"Ugh, you're really pushing your luck today Princess."

"I know….and you know I love the Impala just as much as you do, so I won't wreck it." I assured my oldest brother. The 1967 Chevy Impala means the world to Dean, it's one of his most prized possessions since it use to belong to our dad. Our parents got it a few years before Dean was born and Dad gave it to Dean for his eighteenth birthday. That car was the only thing I could call home when I was growing up.

"Which I still don't understand." Sam added in, causing both me and Dean to glare at our brother. Sam never got Dean's obsession with the car or how I could care so much for it either.

"It's a classic car Sammy." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's my girl." I could hear the approving tone in Dean's voice as he walks closer to my side, brings an arm around me before kissing my temple once again. It felt like one of those moments where in movies, the proud father gives his daughter a kiss on the head and I couldn't help but smile. It was rare to get those moments from Dad but I always got them from Dean and Sam (yet they were always for different moments). I could see a few flashes before Dean pulled away.

"Hang on." Dean warned me before placing his hands on my waist to lift me onto the hood of the Impala. Dean leaned on the Impala from my left as Sam came over to do the same on my right.

"That's perfect guys!" I could practically see the excitement jumping off of Aunt Nora.

"Thanks guys." I said between smiles and shots as I shifted a little in my seat for new poses. Sam and Dean did the same, whether it's having their hands on the hood, arms crossed or in their pockets, they changed their position up too.

"No problem Princess." Dean turned toward me so I could see the smirk on his face and I turned to look at him. I forgot that he called me _Princess_ too. I guess I've been so use to Derek calling me that, I associated it with him more. _Interesting._

"Today is all about what you want." Sam smiled as I looked to him then to Dean who nodded in confirmation while Aunt Nora continued taking pictures, ignoring the fact that we were now talking through them.

"Isn't that just like every other day?" I sighed at the sound of that all too familiar voice.

**

* * *

Derek's POV: **

As parents started looking for their graduate in the crowd of students on stage, Marti started dragging me towards the rest of the family. I got stopped a few times by my fellow graduates as they praised me on my prank or they gave me a high five as a goodbye gesture. I wasn't going to go all picture crazy like most of the graduates in the room but if someone wanted a picture with me, I wasn't going to argue. I was finally free and I could give the people a picture if they wanted, right? Surprisingly, Marti waited patiently beside me while I took a few photos with past dates, teammates and some fellow troublemakers.

Once we got to the family, I could see Edwin was finally let free from Mr. Lassiter's office and that he thankfully changed clothes while Dad was giving him a stern look. It seems like my little brother didn't get off so scotch-free from the principal like I did. _Oh it was good to be King._

"Welcome back Ed, seems like you survived your first visit to the principal's office." I smirked as Edwin had a beaming smile. _That kid is definitely seeking my approval. _Dad was giving the two of us glares before he cleared his throat.

"We'll talk about that later. First, come here son." Dad said as he rushed to give me a hug. My eyes were widening as he was approaching me but I couldn't escape the hug. "My son's a graduate!" I could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him.

"Yeah Dad, I graduated." I nonchalantly stated as if it was nothing but it was definitely something. Graduation meant freedom and I was all for that. Dad pulled away causing Marti to rush me for another hug and Edwin to pat me on the shoulder.

"Congratulations Smerek."

"Thanks Smarti."

"Now some family photos Derek." I groaned as my dad took his camera out. He snapped a few shots with me and Marti, a few with me and Ed, a few with the three of us. Dad then gave the camera to Edwin so he could take a few with just me and Dad.

Sam showed up next to give me a one-armed hug.

"Yo D, can you believe it? We're done!" My best friend stated with excitement, I laughed a little at the sight of pure exhilaration written on his face.

"Yeah, it's freakin' awesome. Where's-"

"Hey Sam, could you take a few pictures of all us Venturis before I take a few of you and Derek?" Dad interrupted me before I finished my question to Sam. Sam nodded his agreement as he took the camera. Dad was ushering me into position, with me in the middle, Marti in front of me with Dad and Edwin flanking my sides. It was a few pictures like that until Dad and Sam switched spots, leading Sam and I to take some serious and funny pictures.

It wasn't long before Ralph was walking over with Casey and I had to tilt my head to the side. _Why's she coming over here?_

"Yo D! Great prank man!" Ralph praised as he gave me a one-arm hug once again. I pulled out and saw that Casey was smirking. _Smirking? She rarely smirks._ As I pulled away, I discreetly look at Casey and it didn't look like she was going to lecture me about doing a prank.

"Thanks Ralphie, glad I didn't disappoint." I gave my attention back to Casey, who looked like she was lost in thought. "Casey." No answer. "Spacey?" I questioned as I waved my hand in front of her, which got her attention as she quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be going camera crazy with Nora?"

"Derek, be nice." I heard Dad say from behind me.

"Actually, I was hoping to get a picture with D-Rock, if that's okay." Casey calmly stated and it definitely caught me off guard, I wasn't expecting that.

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Today is all about memories. Why not capture them with a photo?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"C'mon Derek, it's not that bad." Sam offered as Ralph nodded along. I sighed as I agreed and I could see the biggest grin on her face.

Dad got into position to take this D-Rock photo as Casey and I were both in the middle facing each other while Sam was on Casey's left while Ralph was on my right. We took a couple serious ones like we would for a CD cover and then we took some candids before Casey thanked us and rushed back to Nora and the others.

Dad started taking pictures of me and Ralph before Sam joined in on a few more. We were just goofing off with some of the photos before I saw Lizzie coming over. Dad paused a bit as Lizzie told him something before he faced us.

"Derek, Nora wants you and Lizzie to take a few together. You know, every sibling taking pictures with both graduates. Marti and Edwin are doing the same with Casey right now." Dad explained as Lizzie came closer. I looked over to Casey and saw that she was doing the same thing with Edwin and Marti. I agreed and took a few shots with Lizzie. She quickly ran back to Casey as Nora was walking towards us.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Nora started dragging Dad who was practically dragging me towards the rest of the family. I had to briefly say goodbye to my friends but they said they'd find me once the family frenzy was over. Edwin and Lizzie were in charge of cameras as I was taking some pictures with Nora while Casey did the same with my dad.

Soon, my Dad and Nora wanted photos of just me and Casey before adding the younger kids in as well. Usually I wouldn't want to take pictures with Casey but since it was graduation, I was feeling generous. Plus, I figured, if I cooperate now then maybe they would be least angry about the prank and be alright with me going to the grad party. I would go either way but I rather not hear a 'Casey lecture' if she decides to bust me again for trying to sneak out. We must have been doing fine with the photos because the rest of the family was smiling like crazy and I just had to roll my eyes. _They are just photos people!_ After what seemed like forever (too many pictures with Casey), we finally took the huge family blended photo while Nora got one of the other parents to take the pictures.

As Nora was thanking the parent that took our photos, I saw Sam and Ralph approaching us but before they arrived, Dad asked to see my diploma and I handed it over to him. Dad carefully opened up the document as I looked over his shoulder and I couldn't help but smile when I saw my name on that important piece of paper. _I finally made it. _I couldn't believe it; with my lack of interest in school it was kind of hard to see me here at my graduation. As I looked to see my dad's face, I knew he felt the same way. I knew I must not have been easy to raise, when it came to school compared to Edwin or to Casey when she joined us.

"Well done Derek, well done." I heard my dad say and I didn't care that it would be one of those father-son moments. I needed this as much as my dad needed it.

"Thanks Dad." Dad turned to look at me as I patted him on the shoulder. "For everything." I added when I saw the curiosity on his face.

"I'm proud of you, you know that right?" I smirked as I nodded, remembering my acceptance to Queens that no one knew about. Okay, Casey knew I got into university but she didn't know where. I wanted to tell my dad now but I knew it wasn't the right time. Maybe tonight I will tell them.

"Your friends are coming." Dad's statement snapped me out of my thoughts as he went back to looking at the diploma. I patted my dad's shoulder once again before meeting Sam and Ralph halfway.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"Yo D, is everything alright?" Sam questioned after I high-fived both Sam and Ralph.

"We just graduated Sammy, everything is perfect!"

"I meant with Casey." Sam added and my smirk fell.

"Way to destroy my mood Sam." I couldn't help but tease him about it. It didn't bug me to hear her name due to our quasi-friendship like it would have when she first moved in.

"Sorry D but she was saying some weird stuff to me after the pictures I took with her." Sam explained.

"This is Casey we're talking about, she's always weird…..wait, you took a photo with her? Just you two?" _When did that happen?_

"Yeah, she said it was for all the memories…." Sam reasoned but I interrupted him on impulse.

"And?"

"And she kept talking to me as if today was the last day she would see me." I could see the confusion on Sam's face and I knew it was reflected back onto mine.

"Or me." Ralph added in and for a second I forgot he was even there.

"You too?" Sam looked to Ralph who nodded before explaining.

"Yeah, she even thanked and forgave me too."

"She thanked me too." Sam added and I knew the wheels were turning in his head.

"Forgave you?" I looked to Ralph as I was confused on why Casey would thank him.

"For being a part of your prank when she came to meet you…..or something like that." _Oh that prank._ Ralph shrugged his shoulders and you could tell he was just as confused as me or Sam.

"That makes no sense at all. You guys would still be seeing her at the house until I leave for Europe in the next few weeks." I stated as I tried to figure out Casey's odd behavior. Casey is usually predictable to a point that it made bugging her so easy but this wasn't usual for her.

"That's what I'm saying." Sam agreed with me.

"So what did she say anyways?" I couldn't help but ask. Sam and Ralph started telling me about their photo op with Casey.

**[FLASHBACK]**

_Casey walked up to Sam and tapped him on the shoulder while her mom, Nora stood behind her. Sam said goodbye to the people he was talking to before turning to face Casey. _

"_Hey Casey, nice job with the speech earlier." Sam greeted causing Casey to smile. _

"_Thanks Sam and I was wondering, could I get a few pictures with you?" Casey questioned and Sam could slightly sense that Casey was a little nervous which he thought was odd. _

"_Yeah, no problem." Sam walked closer to Casey before turning her around to face Nora. Sam had his hand at the small of her back for some shots or it was around her shoulder for other ones. Nora continued to take photos ignoring the fact that Casey wasn't looking at the camera._

"_Hey Sam?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_I just wanted to say thanks, for everything. We've been through a lot and I'm glad that we became the friends that we are. It's been interesting." Casey admitted as she smiled up at Sam, who was a little confused on where this was all coming from. _

"_Yeah I'm glad we ended up as friends too. To be honest it was never boring once you moved here, 'cause your fights with Derek were always amusing for us outsiders." Sam added as he tried to lighten up the mood. Casey laughed at the mention of her fights with Derek being amusing. _

"_Yeah I guess they were." There was a pause before Casey and Sam looked back at the camera as they both smiled. "Also, congratulations about getting into Queens. You'll do great."_

"_Thanks Casey, that means a lot. Did you end up picking where you wanted to go?" _

"_Yeah but I haven't told anyone yet. I'm waiting for the right moment to tell the family." Sam nodded before hearing Ralph calling his name in the background. Casey pulled away as Ralph was getting closer. _

"_There you are Sam, I've been looking for you. Oh hey Casey." Ralph greeted._

"_Hey Ralph. Do you mind taking a few photos with me?" Casey asked before Sam could say anything to Ralph. _

"_Yeah no problem." Ralph added before patted Sam on the shoulder to take his place beside Casey. _

"_Thanks for the photos Sam, I'll see you in a bit." Casey added before turning back to Ralph. _

"_No problem, I'm gonna check where Derek is at." Sam stated as he started to scan the room for his best friend. _

"_I'll meet up with you afterwards." Ralph shouted back while Sam gave him a thumbs up as he walked to join Derek who was with his father. _

_Casey and Ralph were taking photos when Casey started talking out of no where. "You know I forgive you right Ralph?" Ralph looked down at Casey with confusion all over his face. _

"_Forgive me for what?"_

"_For being Derek when I was supposed to meet him here before the wedding." She simply stated while Ralph had that look like a light bulb went off in his head. _

"_Oh right that. It seems like forever ago." Ralph gave a slight chuckle at the memory. Nora was still taking pictures as the two continued to talk. _

"_It does. And thanks for that one weekend you hung out with me. I know it got crazy in the end but still, thanks. I appreciate your help."_

"_No problem. It's what band mates do, right?" Casey laughed a little at that too. _

"_Right…..Amanda is a pretty lucky girl Ralph, don't mess it up." Casey teased as she shoved Ralph in the shoulder playfully. _

"_I can only try." Ralph sincerely stated which gave Casey a smile._

"_That's all you could do. Let's join back up with Sam and Derek." Nora took the final shots before Casey started dragging Ralph in the direction Sam left. She shouted to Nora that she would be back shortly as they headed towards the duo they were looking for. _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

"Wow, you weren't kidding." I dumbly stated. I wasn't expecting Casey to say that to both my friends. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was saying goodbye but why? It's not like graduation means the end of my friends coming over. Plus she told Sam that she had made a decision about her future. I couldn't help but think maybe she wasn't lying about keeping it a secret when I brought it up last night.

"Yup." Both Sam and Ralph stated simultaneously. I looked around to try to find the girl in question but I couldn't find her. For some reason it was always easy for me to pick Casey out of a crowd. I still don't know why but it was always handy for whenever I needed to find her fast or avoid her like the plague when she would be on one of her rampages.

"Where is she anyways? Wouldn't she be going picture crazy with the rest of the graduates right now?" I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"Your stepmom's not here either." Ralph added as I saw him looking around the room.

"I saw Casey pulling her mom away saying 'the guys are outside.' I assume that she wanted pictures with some people that were leaving early." Sam shrugged his shoulders but I instantly tensed when he quoted Casey for some reason.

"But everyone is in here." Ralph stated with confusion. I started walking towards Dad and Edwin. I could feel Sam and Ralph following right behind me.

"Hey, Dad, me and the guys are gonna get some air."

"Alright Derek, we'll meet you out there once the girls get back from the bathroom. I think Nora and Casey are out there too." Dad explained and I smirked at the confirmation. Edwin was eyeing me weirdly but I shrugged it off.

"Perfect…lets go guys." I turned to my friends who nodded in agreement as we headed to one of the teachers to give back our gowns before heading outside.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I was heading to the Prince while Sam and Ralph were heading to Sam's car that was close by but Ralph grabbed my arm before I got any further as he was already stopping in his tracks. I turned to face him, a little peeved since I almost fell backwards with his sudden backwards pull on me.

"What's with the tugging Ralphie?" Sam too was looking at Ralph strangely as he was just staring out into the parking lot.

"Dude, isn't that Casey by the Chevy Impala? That's one sweet car!" Ralph questioned and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Leave it to Ralph to stop in his tracks to admire a car. _Wait, did he just say Casey was by an Impala?_

"D, I think he's right. It looks like Casey's taking pictures with some professionals." Sam added and I finally turned to see where my friends were looking.

It was a couple of cars away from us but there was Casey on the shoulder's of one of the well dressed guys. From where I was, he seemed to be shorter of the two guys, and he seemed to have a firm grip on Casey as he twirled her around. I could see Casey and the other guy laughing a bit. It was a few moments later that the shorter guy placed Casey down and instantly his arms were ghosting her side as the taller one's hand was near her back as if they were ready in case she was dizzy. I could have sworn that I saw her smirk before the two guys moved closer to her, all three facing Nora, who seemed to be completely comfortable that Casey was with these strangers.

Sam, Ralph and I continued to watch from afar as we saw Casey place her hands firmly on her hips, as I have seen her do many times during our stand offs. For some unknown reason, I could feel my shoulders tense and my hands ball into fists as the shorter guy snaked his arm around her waist as the taller one snaked his own around her shoulder. Those three were too close for comfort and all I see from Casey was that wide smile on her face. I shift my gaze to Nora and saw that she was unfazed by how close her daughter was to these strangers. When I saw the first flash, I shifted my gaze back to the trio and saw them give her multiple kisses that I felt a little sick to my stomach for some reason. _Stupid emotions…there is a reason I don't do you! _I brushed off the unknown feelings I had and stuck with anger and confusion. _Maybe I'm just hallucinating. I know Casey and she wouldn't do something like that… _

"Do professionals usually kiss the girl too?" Ralph's comment brought me out of my inner battle.

"Damn it Ralph, I was hoping I was just seeing things." I complained as I tried to unclench my fists.

"It looks like she knows them." Sam calmly stated and all I wanted to do was punch him. _How is he so calm when he's just seen his friend/ex-girlfriend getting all comfy with two complete strangers that are definitely older than us? She's only my step-sister/quasi-friend and I'm freaking out inside._

"That's impossible." I nonchalantly stated as I shook my head at the ridiculous idea of her knowing them.

"How so, D?" Sam spared a glance towards me and I could feel Ralph's eyes on me too.

"Guys, this is Casey we're talking about, the keener who only knows people from school."

"Family?" Ralph asked and I had to think about that for a bit. _Nah._

"I met them all at her Aunt Fiona's wedding a few years back and those two weren't there."

"Well let's find out then." Sam started walking towards them with Ralph right behind him. I had to quickly run up to catch up with them.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

As we got closer to Impala, we could hear what they were saying but they didn't seem to notice that we were coming as if it was just the three of them and that just bugged me for some reason.

"Can I be on the Impala for the last few?" I could hear Casey asking the shorter man as her back was towards us. I could see him close his eyes and I assume he sighed out of defeat or something.

"Ugh, you're really pushing your luck today Princess." _Princess? What's he doing calling her that?_

"I know…..and you know I love the Impala just as much as you do, so I won't wreck it." Casey assured the older man in a very sweet yet persuading tone that made me simply impressed. _So the Impala belongs to the shorter man._

"Which I still don't understand." The taller man stated causing both Casey and the shorter man to glare at him. I could see a bit more of Casey's face and I could tell that she was glaring, just like she always did in our fights.

"It's a classic car Sammy." Casey replied in a matter-of-fact tone which just had my head swirling. _Is she just saying that or does she know what type of car that really is? Sammy huh, at least I have a name for the taller man. _I looked to the shorter man and saw him grinning from Casey's statement as he slowly walked closer to her.

"That's my girl." The shorter man said in that proud tone before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her on the head causing her to smile. _What is up between her and this guy? _I could still see flashes coming from Nora's camera but we were still unnoticed as we slowly approached. The next thing I see is the shorter guy grabbing Casey to lift her onto the Impala's hood before he himself was leaning against it as 'Sammy' joined them.

"That's perfect guys!" I suddenly hear Nora's excited tone.

"Thanks guys." Casey was smiling as she was oblivious to us approaching as she stayed focused on the strangers.

"No problem Princess." The shorter man used the nickname once again as he gave her a smirk that I suddenly hated. _No one else but me calls her that…..wait, where did that come from? _I shook my head of the thought as we were close for them not to miss us.

"Today is all about what you want." The taller man I learned she called 'Sammy' stated as he smiled back at my stepsister as the other guy nodded. I thought that was a perfect time to make myself known.

"Isn't that just like every other day?" I smirked as I saw Casey sigh. She knew it was me and I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face because of it. I could feel Sam and Ralph stopping on my sides while taller 'Sammy' and the shorter guy turned to look at me.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"Hey, you don't have to talk to her like that." Taller 'Sammy' stated as he stood straight causing me to crane my neck just a little. I was able to see that this 'Sammy' had shaggy brown hair and he looked to be around six-foot-four-inches with a weird eye color combination of chocolate brown with swirls of hazel green mixed in there. He was dressed in a casual looking suit that I could probably see myself wearing. I'd only admit this in my head but he wasn't that bad looking, making it even harder for me to believe that Casey knew him.

"You don't tell me what to do." I retorted back with my rebellious attitude and I heard a sigh from Nora and a scoff from the other guy. I turned to look at me and I saw that he had his arms crossed in front of his chest as he held a smug smirk while he was slightly in front of Casey who had her left hand on his right shoulder.

"So this is Derek Venturi." The other guy stated as if he knew everything and that just pissed me off. "I guess you weren't exaggerating Case." He continued as he stared me down. _What? Does he know all her nicknames or something? _I looked to Casey and saw her roll her eyes before she spoke.

"You know I tell you everything, so why does that surprise you?" Casey was looking at the guy in front of her while he still stared me down. This other guy was different with his short dirty blonde hair and I estimated that he was over six-feet tall but he was still leaning against his car so I wasn't sure but I could see that he had hazel green eyes. He held himself as if he was the bad boy type, a guy you shouldn't mess with who also had the cocky attitude plus he had looks too. He seemed familiar but I couldn't place how. _How does Casey know them?_

"Can't put my finger on it but it does." He stated nonchalantly and I couldn't take it.

"Alright, it's obvious that you know about me but how did you know that I'm Derek?" I quirked an eyebrow hoping I stumped him as I crossed my own arms but all it did was have his own smirk widen even more as he gave a small laugh. I would feel my anger rising by his reaction.

"That's quite a prank you pulled in there. Got to give it to you, you sure know how to make an entrance." He quickly changed the subject as he answered my question as he now had an impressed/amused expression on his face. I looked to Casey as she was smiling with the guy's statement.

"You guys were inside?" I couldn't help but question. He just nodded. "I guess you have great taste in pranks then."

"Oh you have no idea." Tall 'Sammy' added in as I quickly glanced to him as he was glaring at the shorter man who was smirking with a far away look.

"Oh, the memories…..good times, good times." I could see Casey shake her head in amusement as tall 'Sammy' huffed a bit and I got a feeling that there was more than meets the eye. "If I do recall, you are in need of a good prank soon Sammy boy." I could see the mischief in this guy's eyes and this all felt like déjà vu for me.

"For the millionth time, it's Sam. 'Sammy' is a chubby twelve-year old." Tall Sam explained as he looked to Casey and the other guy who were looking at each other before glancing at Sam. _Were we missing something? _

"A **cute** chubby twelve-year old if you ask me." Casey smiled causing tall Sam to groan while the other guy was still smirking.

"You know Case, I think at times you're worse than Dean." He countered causing Casey to gasp as 'Dean' was looking quite amused.

"Sammy, that really hurts you know." Casey's voice was laced with mock hurt as she held her hand over her heart before a sly smile formed on her face, one that I only saw during our arguments. "You know you still love me either way." I could hear the confidence in her voice as 'Dean' chuckled beside her. In my opinion, this whole exchange was surprising. There was no hesitation between any of them during their comebacks.

"She has you there Sammy." Dean confirmed as he stared at Sam as his grimace slowly turned into a grin.

"You know I can't stay mad at you Casey." Sam softly said as he walked closer to Casey.

"Exactly." She replied confidently before Sam placed a kiss on her temple. I quickly tensed before I saw a flash go off from beside me, bringing me back to the fact that Nora, Sam (my best friend) and Ralph were still there too.

I could feel one of my friends move closer to me before I heard one of them whisper something to me.

"D, how did the conversation veer off course?" My best friend asked and I couldn't help but shrug, I was wondering the same thing.

"I have no idea." I whispered back.

"Ugh, Mom, I think that's enough photos for now." Casey told Nora who I heard sigh.

"I know but the three of you are just so cute together." Nora stated and I instantly saw Dean glare at Nora. Once I saw that glare, I tried to hold in my laugh at that statement.

"We don't do cute Nora, you know that." Dean simply stated and I saw both Casey and tall Sam roll their eyes.

"Not even for today?" My best friend questioned from behind me causing the trio to look more in our direction.

"I've done 'cute' for the past dozen photos, I think I'm done." Dean easily stated and I had to agree with him. Photos can sometimes be a pain.

"So who are you guys?" I heard Ralph ask and I was thankful that one of us could directly ask them. I knew their names through their conversations but it was nice to get some confirmation.

"If you must know, the name's Dean Winchester." The shorter man who still had Casey's hand on his shoulder stated. "The sasquatch over here is my younger brother Sam." Dean stated as he pointed a thumb towards tall Sam who now stood on Casey's right side.

"How do you guys know the Princess over here?" I was looking straight at Casey who was giving me a glare and I instantly saw Sam and Dean turn to look towards Casey. Dean was sporting a smug smirk which I knew caught Casey's attention while Sam had an eyebrow quirked.

"Don't give me that look Dean." Casey reprimanded Dean but he just turned around with an amusing smirk still on his face.

"I didn't do anything." He retorted as his amusing smirk was still intact before Casey looked back to me.

"If you must know Derek, Sam and Dean are really good friends of mine." Casey calmly stated but I saw another glint of mischief from Dean's eyes. _There is something really familiar with him. _

"Is that all we are Baby Girl?" Dean said it with a very smug tone as if he was implying that there was more to the trio than what we saw. _Wait, Baby Girl? What the hell?_ Casey didn't say anything but she did smack Dean on the back of the head lightly like I sometimes do to Edwin. I gave a slight chuckle at that but Dean's smirk didn't waver. "Oh how I missed those."

"You're impossible you know that." Casey leaned forward a bit as her arm was now dangling over Dean's shoulder. It looked like she could have whispered that line to him but she didn't.

"I know, but you still love me anyways." Dean said with a smile as he slightly turned to see Casey.

"Oh curse that dreaded concept." Dean laughed at the joking tone Casey was giving which I couldn't believe. She has every dynamic possible with these two, how is that possible? She went from teaming up on Sam with Dean, to teasing both men as Dean did the same with her and the word 'love' was mentioned at least twice. Is that normal?

"Could you guys help me down?" Casey asked as she pulled back from Dean's shoulder. Sam offered his hand for Casey to take a hold of while Dean grabbed her by the waist to lift her off the hood of the black car. She mumbled a thank you as she straightened her dress out.

"But how did you meet them? They are clearly older than us." I blurted out getting glares from Casey and Nora.

"Derek that's not very nice." I got reprimanded by Nora but I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just stating the obvious that's all." I defended but I was still getting the glares.

"You could go about it a nicer way." Nora offered but I just waved it off.

"We should probably go now." Sam stated as he started going to the passenger side of the Impala.

"Alright then." Nora said before motioning Casey over towards her and giving the camera to Casey. "I'll see you in an hour at the restaurant. You remember which one I told you?"

"I remember Mom, see you soon." Casey hugged Nora before walking back to Dean.

"See you in an hour boys." Nora shouted to Sam and Dean.

"Bye Nora." They simultaneously called back which I found kind of freaky.

"Bye everyone." Casey waved as she walked with Dean to the driver's side of the Impala. Dean already had his arm around Casey's shoulder as they walked and he was even leaning in to kiss Casey on the side of her temple before stopping at the back door and opening it for her.

"He always did know how to treat her." Nora commented mainly to herself but I still heard it. _Nora approves of this Dean guy? No way!_

Once Dean shut Casey's door, he turned his head to face me with a confident smirk in place before he gave a subtle wink my way before getting behind the wheel. I immediately felt anger rising in me as if he knew his actions towards Casey would bug me some how. How would he know they would bug me before I even knew? I don't even know why I'm acting the way I am. _That Dean guy is really getting on my nerves. _

"Nora, how could you just let her leave with them?" I couldn't help but ask as the Impala pulled out of the parking lot.

"Derek relax, she just needs some time alone with them." Nora calmly stated which bothered me. Her daughter was in a car with two twenty-something year old men and she is okay with that?

"Are you listening to yourself?"

"D, calm down." I could hear my best friend telling me but it irritated me even more.

"I am calm, it's just-" I reassured Sam but then Nora cut me off.

"She'll be fine Derek."

"How do you know? You still think stuff will break when Casey and I are left alone together and I've lived with her for three years…..how's this different?" I needed to know because her interaction with Sam and Dean (especially Dean), seemed really familiar to me.

"Yeah, from what I saw, those three reminded me of some of the fights Derek and Casey had." Sam added in. _That's why it was familiar, our fights…wait, why is she acting all chummy with them then?_

"That's why it was so familiar." I thought out loud causing Nora and Sam to slightly chuckle.

"Because they aren't like you Derek when they are around Casey and I know she's in good hands." Nora explained and I couldn't help but scoff.

"Didn't we all just see them together? I'm pretty sure there was some fighting there. So how is that different?" I crossed my arms ready for another explanation from Nora. She sighed.

"Your fights with Casey sometimes get pretty extreme-"

"Which hasn't happened for awhile, might I add." I defended which I did get a nod of recognition from her.

"Right but when those three fight, it's always the teasing/joking type. They won't hurt each other, just trust me on that. If you're so worried, you could see them at dinner."

"Wait what?" _What dinner?_

"You forgot didn't you?" I shrugged causing another sigh from my stepmom. "We had plans to have an early family celebration dinner so that you could go to the grad party later on. So dinner is in an hour at the East Side Mario's that is just around the corner from Smelly Nellie's. Remember now?"

"Right, I forgot but all three of them are going to be there?" I really didn't like the idea of Sam and Dean tagging along but I did feel grateful that the family was willing to have an early dinner so that I (and Casey) could go out to the party.

"What a better way to get to know them?" I sighed causing Nora to pat my shoulder. "So be there in an hour. We'll meet you there because I can see the Prince from here."

"Fine." I grumbled before heading back to the Prince, leaving Nora to go to the family car as she waited for the rest of the family.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"Yo D, you okay?" Sam questioned as he walked into step with me.

"I'm fine." I knew I wasn't very convincing but I knew that Sam wouldn't push it.

"If you say so but we're still going to the pool hall before going to the party tonight, right?" Sam questioned once we got to my car.

"I'll meet you guys after the family dinner I have."

"You better get your head on straight before the party man. You don't want to be depressed when you're surrounded by all the girls that will be there." Ralph added while he patted my shoulder enthusiastically. I snorted.

"I'm not depressed, I'm just kind of-" I couldn't think of a better word for what I was feeling or why I was acting the way I was.

"Shocked? Confused? Anger? Take your pick." Sam offered. I rolled my eyes.

"I think I was all those at one point back there." I admitted as if it was no big deal.

"No kidding. It has me curious about her history with those two." Sam acknowledged as Ralph nodded along with him. I could feel the smirk growing on my face as an idea popped into my head.

"I intend to find out."

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A/N #4: **So what do you think about Derek meeting the Winchesters? I had it planned different (dialogue wise) but then this version just seemed to flow better so hopefully you all like it. I was going to have Dean's POV in this chapter but I figured I'd start off the next chapter with his part.

**A/N #5: **I might start posting a separate 'story' that contains all these one shots that change certain moments in the original LWD episodes making them part of this universe. I might refer to one in the next chapter, I'm not sure but hopefully you all will check that out too.

**A/N #6: **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope it's long enough to make up for the future delay. The dinner will be taken care of in the next chapter which should be interesting for everyone. Don't be afraid to let me know in a **review **what you thought of or what ideas you had pop into your head when you read a certain scene (that sometimes happens to me when I read a story). **Please review** and enjoy the rest of your week!

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**Picture Summaries: **(just in case you wanted the simpler versions)

**Dean & Casey**

a) Dean has his arm around Casey's shoulder and they both face front

b) Dean has his arms around Casey's shoulder as she has her arms around his waist (Dean could hug in return)

c) Dean carries Casey by her waist (surprise candid shot – both laughing)

d) Dean carrying Casey (bridal style) to get a close up shot

e) Dean holds onto Casey as she faces forward and he kisses her temple

**Sam & Casey**

a) Sam has his arm on Casey's shoulder and they both face front

b) Sam is behind Casey as his arms are draped around her shoulders ("totem pole")

c) Sam and Casey are hugging (to the camera)

d) Sam kisses Casey's temple as she looks forward

e) Sam leans down to have close up shot with Casey

**Trio**

a) Sam on the right, Dean on the left with Casey in the middle with both her arms around her brothers' waist (Dean's around Casey's waist and Sam's around Casey's shoulder)

b) Dean's arms wrapped around Casey as Sam's arms are around both his siblings like a shell (since he's taller)

c) Laughing candids (Dean twirling Casey on his shoulder, Sam laughing off to the side)

d) Sam and Dean kissing Casey's cheek as she smiles (three different ones)

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Originally Published: **July 5, 2010

**Edited: **September 23, 2010 (rewording in the Paul flashback)


	5. Ch 4: What The Hell Are You Wearing?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 4: What The Hell Are You Wearing?  
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**A/N #1:** Hey everyone, I know it's been awhile but I couldn't stop myself from writing this out. The dialogue kind of had a mind of it's own at times so hopefully it's still decent for all of you. This chapter is probably the **longest** I have ever posted on this site so hopefully it will have to do for now since I have a midterm coming up next week that I need to study for. This chapter deals with Dean and Derek's POV so next chapter will have Casey and Derek's POV (not sure about Dean yet).

**A/N #2: **I just wan to say **THANK YOU **to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are truly the best and you're what keep me going since if it was just me enjoying the story, well I would procrastinate on writing it down. LOL. So thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart, you guys are the greatest! =D

**A/N #3: **On July 19th, I posted the **"Second Chances: Outtakes"** so hopefully you guys check those out as well because they are kind of like prequels I guess since some situations that happened during the LWD episodes that I wanted altered, would have been too long to add as a flashback in this story, so I'm publishing them as an outtake. FIRST ONE, is linked to this chapter so please go check them out! The writing is a bit different so let me know in a review which type of writing style you like better for the story.

**A/N #4: **Alright so formatting is simple in this chapter, **bold = song**, _italics_ = _thoughts. _On another note, please don't hate my song choices. I know some people might like songs but hate the artist so please don't let that stop you from reading. _  
_

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place). (Music disclaimers at the end of the chapter…..to avoid spoilers)

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Babe Raider," "Derek's School of Dating," "Open Mic Plight," "How I Met Your Stepbro"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Pilot," "Dead in the Water," "Hell House," "Lazarus Rising"

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **'Open Mic Plight'

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Dean's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

After our little introduction with Derek, we were heading for the motel room so that Sam and I could change before heading back to Aunt Nora's place since, let's face it, Casey will take longer to change compared to mine and Sam's combined times. While it remained silent in the car for the first few moments, I was revisiting our earlier encounter in my mind. I've seen Derek twice but this was the first time I got to see him up close and see what it was my sister was so attracted to.

Derek seemed to be around five-foot-eleven-inches tall with slightly shaggy light brown hair (not quite as shaggy as Sam's hair) and chocolate brown eyes that seem to hold curiosity and mischief at that moment. He seemed to have a good physical build for a teenager but then again, Casey did say he played sports. What was it, hockey? Anyways, he wore the typical outfit of red t-shirt layered over a grey long sleeve shirt while wearing some jeans compared to what most of the other graduates were wearing, who were a bit more formal in their attire. _At least we both seem to agree about hating the dress-up portion of the ceremony. _He seemed to wear this worn out pendant that Casey mentioned that he never took off as well as a watch and an armband. He seemed to be a rebel with too much attitude and I still couldn't peg how Casey could have fallen for this guy. It made more sense if she was **just** physically attracted to him but not the whole 'head over heels, he's the one' type of deal that she was in. It still surprised me when he approached that she wasn't really exaggerating anything about him. It's still weird to see for myself how much of a resemblance I had with him. _So weird. _It definitely was amusing watching this kid act all 'king of the world'. _I guess I'm just gonna have to pay close attention to the two of them together. _

Throughout the whole confrontation, I noticed that Derek can really hold his emotions in but I could still see them. _Can't really hide anything from me._ I saw it in his eyes when he got pissed off when I said his name as if I've known him all his life, I could see the confusion in his eyes at Casey's nonchalant attitude towards me or Sam and I was just loving it. I could see his need to know what was going on between us, all through his eyes as the mention of our pranks were brought up. I could see that he wasn't use to the Casey before him and I was excited to see how he would react once he got to know the real Casey. When the word 'love' was mentioned to Sam, I saw a whole bunch of emotions running through his eyes that I couldn't help but laugh again at the memory and when Derek tensed as Sam kissed our sister on her head, that right there just proved that Derek does care about Casey and that he was subconsciously jealous. I really don't know how Casey hasn't seen it when I've seen it in one meeting with her pseudo-stepbrother.

I found it interesting how freely the nickname 'Princess' came from Derek's mouth when he was referring to Casey; it was very convenient how that nickname seemed to be so familiar between the two of them. _How much more obvious do they have to be for the other to notice? _I smirked to myself when I remembered how I made the situation more uncomfortable for Casey in front of Derek as I called her my patented 'Baby Girl' and implied that there was more between the three of us. I saw a glint of surprise from Derek and I even got Casey to confirm that she loved me before we were joking around again. _This was going to be one entertaining week. _

"Dean, what was that all about?" Casey's voice took me out of my reverie as she leaned forward to rest her arms over the front seat, between me and Sam.

"What do you mean?" I innocently asked since I wasn't really paying attention before. _Was she talking before?_

"The comments, the kisses from both of you…" I saw her in my peripheral vision as she glanced between me and Sam before continuing with "…are you trying to blow my cover?" Casey was getting angry now and I knew that wasn't good.

"Nope, just testing a theory out, that's all." I simply stated but I could feel her eyes on me as mine stayed focused on the road.

"What kind of theory Dean?"

"A theory involving Derek's reactions when he saw the way you acted with us." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I wasn't acting any differently." Casey defensively stated and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Case, have you already forgotten that you've been acting like a 'keener' for the past few years? You weren't acting differently with _us_ but to Derek, he seemed surprised, which I thought was very amusing." I explained while Sam was nodding along with me.

"Yeah I noticed that too. No wonder you were staring at him so much Dean." Sam added with a smug expression directed at me.

"Shut up. I was making observations and…" I took a pause since I didn't really want to admit this but I still continued on. "I think he does care for you Casey." I took a quick glance at her before settling my eyes back on the road.

"I doubt it." I heard her sigh before she leaned back into the backseat. "How could you even tell when you guys just met him?"

"Are you forgetting what we do Case? It's practically our job to read people." I could see her roll her eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Why is it so hard to believe that he might actually care about you?" Sam questioned as he turned in his seat so that he could see her in the back.

"Because he's still Derek." She huffed in defeat as if that explained everything. It probably did but then again, she's known him for three years while we've only heard of him for the past two years.

"That's no excuse but we still have another problem." I chided before changing the subject a bit.

"Which is what?" I chanced a glance towards my little brother and saw the confusion on his face. _And he's supposed to be the smart one. _I sighed before I explained.

"Casey's inability to keep her cover while we are around her."

"I can't help it, it's a reflex." She countered.

"So what are you going to do then?" Sam asked as he looked to the backseat.

"I'm tired of hiding. Aunt Nora said I can be myself so that's what I'm gonna do, be myself." I could hear the determination in her voice and all I could do was smile at the thought that my Baby Girl was coming back.

"You sure about that?" I could hear the uncertainty in Sam's voice.

"I'm sure. How else am I gonna have some normal fun this week?" Casey confirmed and teased as I pulled into the motel's parking lot.

"True just don't overdue it in front of the others. Don't want them to think that you've been swapped or something." I joked as I turned the engine off.

"No worries. I have you guys to look out for me instead of me watching out for myself." I turned around to see her smile after her statement causing myself to smile right back.

"Well then, welcome back little sis." Sam added in before we all headed inside.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

While Sam and I were taking turns getting changed, Casey was getting herself reacquainted with the weapons while she told us in detail about her studies (never missing a beat when she handled our arsenal). We could never have long phone conversations during the past few years so she was able to tell us everything in full detail (plus she would always feel guilty about leaving very long emails as well). I sometimes would forget that she has a photographic memory because it was as if those events just happened the previous week with the way she was describing them.

Ignoring some of those embarrassing high school moments that most students can't ignore, Casey's experience seemed to be very rich and rewarding for her. She had taken the required courses that a Canadian diploma needed and all her electives had a reason behind taking them that she said would benefit us when hunting. I thought that was pure genius, she actually chose courses that are important to what we would do rather than pick the courses that led to dream jobs like what most of the students had done. **(A/N: reasons listed at the end of the chapter)**

She also kept busy with many extra curricular activities at school to keep up her grade-conscious, super-keener reputation. She had been a part of the drama club, the archery club (apparently, not many people outside of the club knew about this), the cheerleading squad for a short time during her junior year, volunteering for summer camps for the school, using the music instruments during her free time to record and practice her songs (apparently she's the music teacher's favorite student since she was also the drama teacher). She mentioned keeping up with her martial arts training either in private or at the gym near the house. That idea got me thinking that we should test her out sometime this week to make sure she hadn't lost her touch. _Bobby's is another option too. _I thought.

As she was switching between weapons, she started talking about her life outside of school, like more about the family/step-family, her friends, her recent relationships. Of course this part was a bit muffled since Sam and I switched spots and I got the bathroom but I groaned when I heard her say something about her being in a 'dating frenzy' during freshman year. _Not even a year out of my protection and she already went boy crazy. _I had scoffed at the thought before I left the bathroom to get my shoes.

"Finally man, you take too long." I heard Sam complain from his bed with Casey sitting on my bed. I noticed there wasn't a weapon in sight. I rolled my eyes at my whining brother as I sat on my bed to put my shoes on.

"I take too long? Casey hasn't even started yet, so I wouldn't be complaining just yet." I retorted before feeling a slight nudge in my back that I knew was from my little sister.

"Hurry up and let's go 'cause like you said, I take awhile." Casey scurried over to the door as I finished up, following her and Sammy to the Impala.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

It was a few songs into the drive back to Aunt Nora's when Casey blurted out that I needed to get an Ipod jack. _A what now?_ I spoke what I thought causing my sister to sigh and for Sam to hold in a laugh. _Bitch._

"An Ipod jack." Casey repeated herself and I just rolled my eyes.

"I heard you the first time, Case. Now what is it?" I retorted causing her to roll her eyes back at me.

"It allows for an Ipod to be connected to a car's sound system." She explained.

"So you want me to douche up my car?" I didn't like the idea of hooking something up to my car. Nothing was going to hurt my car!

"It doesn't hurt the car Dean, you just plug it in, that's it." She tried to assure me and it did calm me down a bit. _I'll think about it_.

"Yeah plus it will update you from your cassette tape collection." Sam added in and I took a quick glance to the shotgun position with my eyebrow quirked up.

"What's wrong with my cassette tapes?"

"For one, they are cassette tapes." Sam easily pointed out in a 'duh' tone. I kept moving my glance from the road to Sam.

"So?" Casey interrupted Sam before he could give me a reply.

"Dean, I have all of your cassette tapes on my Ipod with a whole bunch of other stuff too."

"You do?" I questioned as I looked in the rear view mirror to see a smiling Casey.

"Yup." She was confident with that answer and I couldn't help but try to burst her bubble. _There is no way she has my music on her Ipod thingie. _

"Black Sabbath?" She nodded. "Motorhead?" She nodded again as I saw a smirk forming. "Metallica?" She nodded once again as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have more of your songs, Sam's songs, my songs; both favorites and originals, and a couple of movies on it too." She quickly added and I couldn't believe it. We all have similar yet different tastes in music so a music collection for the three of us would be huge.

"And you still have more room? How big is this thing?" I quickly asked as I turned on the right street that led to the house.

"The size of my phone. It can also work as a hard drive too for my laptop." She explained as she pulled out her cell phone, the same one she's had since she went to live with Aunt Nora. Dad made sure that Casey had her own phone before he separated us but he told her to keep the phone a secret and to only have our numbers on it. **(A/N: Casey still got the cell phone from Derek so after that, she had TWO cell phones; 'Winchester' phone and 'McDonald' phone) **

"When did you get an Ipod?" Sam asked and I was glad he did. _She didn't have one the last time we saw her. _

"Aunt Nora bought it for me for my sixteenth birthday. She told everyone that I got it as a thank you for agreeing with the move in. Kind of like a bribe but she told me once we were alone that it was for my birthday." Casey explained while I parked on the road in front of the McDonald-Venturi household.

"That was nice of her." I said as I turned the engine off. _Note to self: thank Aunt Nora A LOT before leaving. _Sam and Casey were already making their way out of the car and heading for the door while I locked my car up. Casey stopped in her tracks to face us before she unlocked the door as if she wasn't done speaking.

"Yeah it was. Oh, that reminds me, when I'm changing my outfit, you guys can listen to the song I sang last year for the open mic night. I finished polishing it up a few months ago." She finished off before twirling around to unlock the door to let us inside.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

She immediately took off her heels, grabbed them and headed upstairs as she yelled down that she would be back in a minute. Sam was already inside looking around while I shut the door behind me. I took the scene in before me and I couldn't help but smile as I once again, got that home-vibe from it. Toys scattered near the walls so they weren't in people's way, family photos on the shelves and walls, a television that was off to the side to make room for a group of instruments by the window.

"Hey Dean, check this out." Sam grabbed my attention as he was staring at one of the pictures on the shelf.

I moved to a spot beside him and looked at the picture. It had what I would assume were the five children of the McDonald-Venturi household. I could see Casey and Derek near the top, Lizzie on a stool as well as Edwin and then the little girl who I could assume was Marti. Lizzie has grown up so much since we've last seen her and Edwin didn't look weird at all, then again Edwin in anything besides that superhero costume is an improvement. Little Marti was just adorable and seeing her brought memories back of when Casey was that small and vulnerable, a time where she could've still held on to her innocence from the supernatural world.

"That was taken for George and Aunt Nora's second wedding anniversary last summer." I whipped around to the stairs once I heard Casey's voice and I smirked.

"It's a great photo, you can't even tell that you don't get along with Derek." I smugly stated knowing that she liked the guy at the time the photo was taken.

"One big happy family." Sam stated as he moved to take a seat on one of the dining room chairs near the kitchen. I knew Sam was feeling down a bit since we didn't have photos like that. I was too but I wasn't going to let that show.

"You guys are my family. They are just extensions to it." Casey simply stated as she walked down the rest of the stairs and headed for the music player. She started setting it up and messing with something that resembled a phone. _I guess that's the Ipod. _She then placed it in the dock while I took a seat at the head of the table closest to the couch. "I hopefully won't take too long but maybe you could hear a few of my songs while you wait."

"You better not take long." I commented before she turned towards me with the remote in her hand for the music player. She made a move to hand it to me but at the last second, she moved it out of my reach and gave it to Sam. Sam snorted while I gave him a glare. _Just cause I didn't know what an Ipod jack was, doesn't mean I don't know how a stereo works. _

"Just click play when you want to start. I better get changed." She stated before she rushed upstairs but I stopped her midway with a question on which song it was that she sang last year. She said it was called 'Zero Gravity' and that it should be the first or second one that would be playing. It was a few moments later that we heard her bedroom door close.

"How long do you think she'll take?" Sam questioned as I returned my gaze back to him.

"I'm hoping not more than fifteen minutes, now click play Sammy." I suggested and it was a few moments later that the music started with a pretty good beat before Casey's voice started singing her lyrics.

**I can make the rain stop if I wanna,  
Just by my attitude  
I can take my laptop record a snapshot  
And change your point of view**

**I just entered this brand new world  
And I'm so openhearted  
I know I've got a long way to go but I  
I'm just getting started**

**I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it  
I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it  
Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try  
Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it  
I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it  
And I know everything will be fine  
With me, myself and time.  
**

_That's not about a boy. _I knew the song she sang at the open mic night had to do with her feelings for Derek and this song wasn't about that. I got up and looked at the mini screen on the Ipod and saw that the song was called "Me, Myself and Time."

"It's not the song is it?" Sam questioned still in his seat and I shook my head no.

"Nope, but she still sounds great."

"Yeah, she does." Sam agreed before there was a pause as we both continued to listen to Casey's singing as I returned to my seat.

**I go where life takes me, but some days it makes me want to change my direction  
Sometimes it gets lonely, but I know that it's only a matter of my perception  
I just entered this brand new world  
And I'm so openhearted  
I know I've got a long way to go but I  
I'm just getting started**

**I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it  
I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it  
Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try  
Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it  
I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it  
And I know everything will be fine  
With me, myself and time.  
**

Both Sam and I continued to either bob our heads to the beat or tap our feet or hands with the rhythm to Casey's song. _I truly have one talented singer as a sister. _

**And baby there is nothing like this moment  
To just be real and let the truth be spoken  
Whatever's broke I can make it unbroken  
Turn the lead in my hand into something golden  
Just try more love, if I just try more love then I'll find  
Myself and time.**

**I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it  
I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it  
Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try**

**I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it  
I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it  
Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try  
Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it  
I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it  
And I know everything will be fine  
With me, myself and time.**

**I'll find myself in time,  
I know I'll find myself in time**

After the music ended, I noticed the next song wouldn't start and it wasn't until I looked to Sam to see the remote again in his hand aimed at the stereo. "She gets her singing talent from mom, doesn't she?" Sam asked and I knew he wanted a conformation.

Sam was only two when our mom died while I was six so I would remember more about her than him or Casey. Mom used to sing all the time, and whenever any of us felt scared, she'd sing to us to calm us down. She'd always sing her favorite song, "Hey Jude", as a lullaby to us. I continued that after the fire for Casey but I would never be as good as our mother but I wasn't terrible like our father.

"Well she doesn't get it from dad, that's for sure." I scoffed while Sam gave a slight chuckle. "Mom did love to sing." I couldn't help but add.

"Let's hear the next one then." Sam clicked play once again for the stereo and the music started. I checked the screen and told Sam that this was the song before Casey's voice was heard through the speakers.

As Casey sang her song, "Zero Gravity", it was amazing to hear what type of emotion she portrayed in the song. _Was Derek really making her feel like that? _I was also surprised that nobody figured out who she was singing about. Granted, we both knew it was Derek but wasn't it obvious to anyone else? It couldn't be a stranger because it mentioned spending time with the special guy and Casey did mention she didn't have that many good guy friends here after she moved. I saw from Sam's expression that he was thinking along the same lines as I was.

When the song ended I motioned for Sam to pause it again before the next one started so that I could at least say something.

"To think no one figured out who she was singing about. Got to hand it to her for hiding it like that. Girl's a genius."

"If you hadn't already known, would you have figured it out?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed but Sam gave me that look that said he knew I was bluffing. "Alright no, but what do you expect? We don't personally know the guys she's hung out with." I countered and that's when I saw a shadow move in the kitchen. I could see a faint silhouette through the translucent windows on the door to the kitchen. _Derek._

"You're right." Sam agreed but I signaled to him that someone was here and he knew what I meant and nodded. Maybe he knew before me since he was closer to the kitchen but Sam and I always knew what the other was thinking at times. It was weird but I guess that's what you get when you spend practically 24/7 with each other on the road, hunting.

"I always am." I smirked as Sam rolled his eyes at me.

"Ready for another song?" He asked but I was taking a look at my watch. I held my hand up telling him to 'hang on' before I stood up to move to the base of the stairs.

"CASEY! YOU ALMOST DONE?" I shouted up the stairs to my sister. I heard a door open before I got my reply.

"MY TIME'S NOT UP YET!" I heard her door close before I could hear Sam scoffing as I rolled my eyes. I could hear a faint laugh coming from the kitchen. _It's definitely Derek. _Then I got an idea and I quickly looked to Sam and I knew I had a mischievous grin on my face before I looked up the stairs once again.

"HURRY UP THEN PRINCESS, YOU DON'T WANNA BE LATE FOR DINNER! I'M STARVING DOWN HERE!" I could hear her door opening again, just waiting for what her reply would be.

"THEN GET SOMETHING TO EAT! I'M ALMOST DONE!" I heard the door slam again and I didn't hold back my laugh as I returned to my seat. _She never disappoints me. _

"Oh Sammy, how I missed that." I finally let out as my laughs died down.

"Yelling at her?" I saw the confusion on his face and I instantly needed to set him straight (and Derek).

"No! I meant the whole routine of it. Granted, I wish she just stuck with jeans and a t-shirt, it'd go by so much quicker."

"Low standards there Dean?" I smirked at Sam as he had tilted his head in Derek's direction. _Oh, messing with people is always entertaining. _

"Ha! No. It's gonna take quite a special girl to be able to handle all of me." I boasted but then I heard footsteps upstairs after a creak of a door. _Casey_.

"DEFLATE THAT EGO DEAN!" She called down before I heard another door close. _Bathroom. _

"NEVER PRINCESS!" I yelled back quickly but in a joking manner.

It's amazing how we still banter the way we use to. It wasn't foreign for us to be put in a situation where we just had to create our own entertainment and fighting for no reason was always our solution. Sam would usually want to read something, Casey would want constant attention since we wouldn't be with her during school hours and I always had to resist my need to leave the motel rooms (I didn't like staying inside all the time). We would fight over useless stuff but it always ended in both of us laughing and sometimes Sam would be laughing too for no reason, forgetting his book that he was trying to read.

"Yeah, it's like nothings changed." Sam gave a slight chuckle with his statement and I couldn't help but smirk at how true that statement seemed to be. It was still me, Sammy and Casey (all grown up yet still the same) but the thing that I knew that had changed was that Casey now had more people that she cared about. This wasn't just a normal trip for Casey, leaving a town after a short amount of time when a hunt was done. She'd spent a few years here building familial bonds, friendships and relationships that were difficult to make earlier when we were in a town for a very short time. I knew in my heart that next Saturday wasn't going to be easy for my little sister.

"Exactly! And here I thought four years apart would change that." I pushed my previous thoughts to the side as I blew out some air before I basked in the idea that nothing has changed between the three of us.

Sam gave me that all knowing look of his when he knew I was hiding something. At times like these, I just wish I could shoot that look off of his face but at least he wouldn't pester me about it now since we still had a sneaky audience in the kitchen.

"Dean, nothing could change that. It's been like that her whole life."

"What? Nooooo." I denied but I was gratefully that he was trying to cement that fact into my brain.

"Just admit that you love it." Sam tried coaxing me and I couldn't help but scoff at his attempt. My smirk was still in place as I subtly looked to where I knew Derek was hiding. _I admit nothing, just yet_.

"I admit nothing." I smugly replied but I knew from Sam's smile that he knew that I did love it indeed.

"Sure you don't bro." Sam joked while I rolled my eyes.

"Enough with the click-flick stuff, if she isn't down by the time the next song's done, I'm going up there." I made sure my tone was serious as I looked to my watch seeing that we were going to cut it close if she wasn't done soon. _It was at times like this that I wish Casey was still the little girl that I grew up with. _I didn't know how far the restaurant was but it wasn't like my driving was a hindrance.

"You're ridiculous, you know that." Sam joked once again as I removed my gaze from the stairs. I felt my eyebrow quirk up as I stared at my brother before I smiled, with the perfect comeback in place that'll confuse the hell out of Derek, hopefully.

"Yet, I'm the world's awesome-est big brother ever." I stated as cockily as I could hoping to irritate Derek. Casey told me that Derek had claimed that title whenever Marti was concerned and I couldn't wait to see his behavior to his own little sister. _Did we really have a lot in common? _

The thought definitely got me thinking since during this whole week, I would be able to see how Derek's relationships are with his siblings; to see how he treats Marti and Edwin and how differently he treats Lizzie and Casey. Casey mentioned that Derek gives off this persona of an 'I don't care' attitude but it's all pushed away when Marti is concerned. She said he uses Edwin as his slave but he does help him when he really needs it. Casey said that his relationship with Lizzie is going well as he taught her hockey and treats her in between how he'd treat Marti and Edwin. It seemed like Casey was the only one that was the target for his pranks as he caused her trouble throughout the years since the wedding. I wondered if the pranks were just a cover up Derek used for something else. I would have to look into that, maybe talk to Lizzie alone at one point.

"That's not even a word." Sam stated in a matter-of-fact tone a few moments later causing me to snap out of my thoughts and future plans.

"You're the bookworm, not me." I countered back instantly like I always do when he said that, kind of like our bitch/jerk routine.

"Yet you still know the basics Dean."

"Sure I know them, I just choose not to use them." I reasoned with Sam since it was true.

Sure I knew all the advanced material from school but that didn't mean that I was going to use it during my everyday life, that's what Sam and Casey do. I rather have people underestimate me because it's better to pull something over their eyes if they think less of me, plus I can pull out more surprises too. It's always been like that, Sam would work his ass off to get ahead in school while I just coasted through it. I wasn't stupid, quite the opposite actually, I just chose not to have unnecessary attention drawn to me by not doing exceptionally well in school. Learning the material was easy and with all the constant school transfers, I was still ahead when compared to my peers. _Stupid teenagers_. When I didn't use all my brain power during school, I used it on teaching Casey the stuff just to confirm that I knew it backwards and forwards. Sam and I had to know the school material as if we, ourselves, were the teachers because we both had to teach it right back to her as she was being homeschooled. It didn't matter that Sam and I were learning different levels of the material but Casey wanted to learn it all and we were just thankful that she could take it all in so easily. That could have been one reason why Dad didn't want Casey to go to school like Sam and I since she would draw attention to herself plus she'd be at a different school than us; he never did give us a full reason why she had to be homeschooled.

"Alright that's it. I'm starting the next song before we get into another fight." I could see Sam picking up the stereo's remote as he aimed it at the stereo. I rolled my eyes before I justified why we argued to my little brother.

"Oh please Sammy, it's what we do. It keeps our lives interesting." Sam sighed.

"No, our job keeps our lives interesting." I thought about it quickly and Sam was right, hunting was what kept our lives interesting. Dealing with the creatures of the night while everyone lived their normal lives; saving people as we hunted the unnatural down. No matter what my siblings say, hunting is invigorating and the life I could only see myself living. Sure I have had to sacrifice quite a bit but I get to help others in a way that matters, I get to prevent families from going through something that my own family had to, I can stop others from feeling the pain that we've had to go through. _Isn't that what it's all about?_ I could go without the constant worrying about whether my family will be safe but I rather have them be trained and ready than helpless and vulnerable to what's out there.

"True, just click play already." I demanded of Sam before we gave too much of the truth away.

Instead of the music starting we heard quick tapping before Casey's voice was heard. "S & D, if you're listing to this version, I guess I haven't gotten to record the upbeat version yet or I have and didn't delete this version yet. Let's just say this song came to me after I saw some crumpled up papers with the word 'baby' repeatedly on them but this is what I got from those words."

I quickly got up and clicked stop before the music started up and I took the Ipod out of its dock. I started clicking back to go to the menu to my playlist that she claimed to make for me as I searched the list (I _was_ paying attention when she did it earlier). _Wow she does have everything. _I found the song I wanted to listen to, placed it back in the dock before clicking play and returning to my seat. The familiar tune of AC/DC's "Back in Black" was bursting through the speakers. I look to Sam with a smirk as he had confusion written all over his face.

"What?" I couldn't take the confused expression Sam had directed at me as I was trying to enjoy some of my classic rock.

"Why are we listening to AC/DC? What about Casey's song?"

"Like her recording said, she wasn't done so I rather wait and listen to the completed song than hear an uncompleted version." I explained as I looked to him as if it wasn't a big deal.

"But the completed version might be on there." Sam pointed out but I gave him a pointed look which caused him to sigh and lean back into his seat. "Fine but why AC/DC?" He asked and I shrugged.

"First on my playlist and you know what? She actually wasn't kidding; all my songs seem to be on there." I knew Sam could hear the surprise in my tone.

"You doubted her?" Confusion was once again written all over Sam's face and I knew why. It wasn't often that I would doubt anything Casey said or vise versa. The same applied to Sammy but with him getting older and trying to 'grow up,' he's always trying to prove to me that he can do things without his big brother's help. I didn't like the idea of Sam not needing me anymore but I knew that he just wanted to prove that he can stand on his own.

"I doubted the fact she said she had ALL of my songs on that little device." I defensively clarified.

"Yeah well, those little devices can hold quite a lot of stuff." Sam agreed as I nodded with him and to the music. I glanced over to where I assumed Derek was hiding and I knew that it was time for him to show himself.

"Plus I wanted to end this little oblivious charade that we've got going on." I nonchalantly stated while Sam's head snapped to look at me.

"Dean." He warned but all I did was look at him and smirked as I stated my next command towards the boy in the kitchen.

"Derek, get out of the kitchen right now!"

**

* * *

Derek's POV:**

I stayed at the school a bit longer after the rest of the family left before I told Sam and Ralph that I'd meet them at the pool hall after dinner before we'd head off to the party at Jason's place; might as well try our luck at getting some drinks at the pool hall before heading to the grad party.

I was in a pretty good mood before I saw the same 1967 black Chevy Impala parked in front of my house causing me to groan. _I wasn't just hallucinating. _I wanted to forget that Sam and Dean existed or how chummy Casey seemed to be with the older strangers, or how Nora didn't seem fazed at all that her daughter was getting too comfortable with two older males right in front of her. _At least they didn't park in the driveway. _I exited the Prince before staring at the black car. I knew that car was a classic and in good hands since it looks like it was just sold to its owner.

I shuffled around back but before I opened the back door, I heard a faint familiar rhythm inside causing me to pause in my tracks. I slowly opened the door and quietly walked inside, making sure my presence wasn't known. I gently closed the back door behind me before I tip-toed closer into the kitchen.

… **  
When things get messed up, you lift my head up  
And I get lost in the clouds  
There's no sense of time with you and I  
It's zero gravity**

As I got closer to the doors that separated the kitchen from the living room, the music intensified and after a few moments later, the familiarity of the song hit me. It was the song Casey was singing at Smelly Nellie's first open mic night last year and the vocals I was hearing now were Casey herself.

**Nothing brings me down when you're around  
It's like zero gravity  
The world just disappears when you're here  
It's zero gravity  
**

I remained hidden behind the door but I could see that someone was sitting in dad's chair, swaying their head to the beat causing some of their brown hair to go out of place. I couldn't see much more than that since I didn't want to expose myself so I just waited.

**Nothing brings me down when you're around  
It's like zero gravity  
The world just disappears when you're here  
It's zero gravity  
Zero gravity**

When the song finished, I was surprised that another song didn't follow directly afterwards but the voice in the other room was what caused me to tense in my spot.

"To think no one figured out who she was singing about. Got to hand it to her for hiding it like that. Girl's a genius." _Dean?_ I couldn't believe that he was in my house. _Wait….he knows who Casey was singing about?_ I still haven't figured out who the song was about and this stranger already knows?

"If you hadn't already known, would you have figured it out?" The second voice questioned but it was louder than the first so he must have been the one I could slightly see. _If Dean is here, then that must be Sam then. Great, they're both in my house. _I suppressed a groan. _Wait…..she told them who the song was about?_ For some reason I was getting angry at that notion.

"Of course!" Dean exclaimed but there was a slight pause before he continued. "Alright no, but what do you expect? We don't personally know the guys she's hung out with." I was getting irritated, I hate just listening. I have to see people when they talk; be able to analyze their body language, anticipate what they would do next before they themselves knew. It was that skill that usually gave me the upper hand in my encounters with Casey. I shuffled a bit in my spot to try to move so that I could look into the other room without them seeing me with not much improvement. _Maybe I could get some dirt on these guys. _I smirked at the thought.

"You're right." Sam agreed.

"I always am." Dean replied with a cocky attitude that made me want to roll my eyes.

"Ready for another song?" Sam asked but there was no reply. Instead I heard one of the dining room's chair shuffle, followed by footsteps on the hardwood floor.

"CASEY! YOU ALMOST DONE?" Dean shouted up the stairs. _I guess that's why they're here. _I faintly heard a door open before there was an answer.

"MY TIME'S NOT UP YET!" I heard her door close before I heard Sam scoffing. I didn't realize that I let a little laugh escape until it was too late. _I hope no one heard that._ Luckily I didn't hear them move anywhere near the kitchen.

"HURRY UP THEN PRINCESS, YOU DON'T WANNA BE LATE FOR DINNER! I'M STARVING DOWN HERE!" Dean shouted once again causing me to cringe at the nickname use. _My nickname for her! Wait, what? _I shook the thought away as I heard her door open again.

"THEN GET SOMETHING TO EAT! I'M ALMOST DONE!" I froze when she mentioned him getting food as I heard the door slam shut again. I was tempted to run out the back door to hide in case Dean came into the kitchen but all I heard was Dean laughing, followed by the scraping of the dinner chair against the hardwood floor. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in.

"Oh Sammy, how I missed that." Dean finally said after he stopped laughing.

"Yelling at her?" I could hear the confusion in Sam's voice and I too was confused. _Dean missed yelling at Casey?_

"No! I meant the whole routine of it. Granted, I wish she just stuck with jeans and a t-shirt, it'd go by so much quicker." I let another breath out, realizing that Dean objected to liking to yell at Casey. _Wait, why do I care?_

"Low standards there Dean?" I had to suppress a chuckle at that. _It would have to be the right girl in order for them to pull off jeans and a t-shirt. _

"Ha! No. It's gonna take quite a special girl to be able to handle all of me." Dean boasted and I couldn't help but think that he has such a huge ego. _Wait….is that what Casey meant when she complains about my ego? _I could hear footsteps upstairs after a creak of a door. _Casey_.

"DEFLATE THAT EGO DEAN!" She called down before I heard another door close. _Bathroom. _

"NEVER PRINCESS!" Dean yelled back quickly in a joking tone and the comeback startled me. It came out so natural and reflexive-like. _How often does this happen between them?_ I still wasn't use to this. It had only been half an hour since the trio left the high school's parking lot yet the dynamic between them left a lasting impression that still bugged me. What made these two older male strangers so _special_ that it immediately got a different Casey when she was with them? How was it that it was so natural for her to change dynamics between them so quickly that it gave me a sense of whiplash? She had the joking, teasing, mocking yet playful attitude while bantering between them. It's usually me that gets the fun out of riling her up, but there she was, dishing out what I usually would throw at her. _What the hell?_

"Yeah, it's like nothings changed." Sam gave a slight chuckle with his statement that I could still hear, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Exactly! And here I thought four years apart would change that." I assume Dean was the one that blew out some air for relief purposes for which I didn't understand why. _It's not like a person can change dramatically in four years, can they?_

"Dean, nothing could change that. It's been like that her whole life." Sam's statement caught me off guard. Have they really known Casey for that long? Was it possible that these two knew Casey longer than I have? _Was it possible they knew her better than me?_ I tensed at the thought, not sure where it had come from. Sure, I had prided myself in the fact that I could rub it in her face that no one knew her better than I did but did that fact still remain true?

"What? Nooooo." Dean denied.

"Just admit that you love it." Sam tried coaxing Dean while I tensed again when the l-word was mentioned.

"I admit nothing." Dean smugly replied but in his voice I could tell that he did agree with Sam's statement.

"Sure you don't bro." Sam joked and I could tell that he knew that's all he was going to get. _Dean doesn't do emotions, huh? Interesting….complete opposite of Casey. _I couldn't help but smile at the thought since there was no chance that Casey and Dean would have a relationship together if Dean rarely talked about feelings with his own brother while Casey would talk nonstop about them to anybody. In the back of my mind I got this déjà vu feeling again but I pushed it aside.

"Enough with the click-flick stuff, if she isn't down by the time the next song's done, I'm going up there." The seriousness in Dean's tone was evident and I didn't have to see him to know that his demeanor portrayed the same thing.

"You're ridiculous, you know that." I could sense that the joking vibe was back.

"Yet, I'm the world's awesome-est big brother ever." Dean cockily stated and I just wanted to jump out and say 'no, that title's mine' but I resisted the urge to do that. I tried to calm myself down by telling myself that I wasn't just the only big brother in the world. I instantly got the thought that it would be interesting to see more of the brother dynamic between Sam and Dean. _Would Ed and I be like that when we're older?_ I couldn't help but wonder, but I didn't know why I was suddenly comparing these brothers with Ed and myself. I started to scratch the back of my neck, praying that I could just stop thinking all together for the time being.

"That's not even a word." Sam stated in a matter-of-fact tone that was all too familiar to me. _Casey always says that to me. No Derek, stop it! _

"You're the bookworm, not me." Dean countered back as if it explained everything.

"Yet you still know the basics Dean."

"Sure I know them, I just choose not to use them." The way the conversation was going still surprised me. I could hear the arrogant tone from Dean and for some reason I wondered what Casey would think about it. _Stop thinking, damn it!_

"Alright that's it. I'm starting the next song before we get into another fight." I could hear something being picked up from the table and I only wished even more that I could see the scene before me instead of the little instances that Sam would move forward or lean back in his seat, correction, my dad's seat.

"Oh please Sammy, it's what we do. It keeps our lives interesting." I heard Sam sigh before he answered.

"No, our job keeps our lives interesting." I couldn't help but smirk because maybe I could figure out what it is that they do for a living. Probably something boring but what kind of job could they have that was more exciting than fights? I personally thought that not much could compete against the fights I would get into it with Casey; it was always amusing getting her all riled up and fighting back. There weren't many people that would stand up and defy me the way she could. _Don't go there!_ I halted my thoughts before they got more crazier for my taste.

"True, just click play already." Dean demanded of Sam before anything of the matter was said. I frowned.

Instead of the music starting I heard quick tapping before Casey's voice was heard. "S & D, if you're listing to this version, I guess I haven't gotten to record the upbeat version yet or I have and didn't delete this version yet. Let's just say this song came to me after I saw some crumpled up papers with the word 'baby' repeatedly on them but this is what I got from those words."

I froze when I heard Casey's voice and the events of last year came back involving the time when Smelly Nellie's had its first open mic night, back to the time when I was still dating Sally. The memory of D-Rock trying to write a ballad for Sally but all we got was repeating the word 'baby' so many times on paper before Sam and Ralph gave up and left, leaving me to turn to Casey for help. _Wait…..she came up with a song containing 'baby, baby, baby'?_

It only took a few seconds after going over those events that part of Casey's recording clicked in with another memory: 'S & D'. _"Alright, so I finally finished this song up thanks to some pushing from my two best friends, D & S. These guys told me music was a way to express myself and this song was me taking their advice and actually writing about it."_ Casey's announcement to the crowd that night ran through my head. Her two guy best friends 'D & S,' were acknowledged in another one of her songs that I've possibly never heard before. Then the insane thought came to me and I truly wished that I were wrong…..was it possible that Casey was referring to Sam and Dean both times?

I was expecting some pop music junk that Casey likes to emit from the speakers but instead I got the familiar tune of a classic rock song. _What just happened? I wasn't that spaced out to miss the song, was I?_ I focused back onto the conversation in the other room.

"Why are we listening to AC/DC? What about Casey's song?" Sam questioned and I sighed to myself, somewhat relieved that I didn't space out during her song. I paid more attention to the song and realized that Sam was right; it was AC/DC's song "Back in Black" that was playing. _I guess Dean turned it to a rock station. _

"Like her recording said, she wasn't done so I rather wait and listen to the completed song than hear an uncompleted version." Dean explained but once the words sunk in, I felt this weird pain inside me that I couldn't explain. Maybe it was the fact that Dean and I might actually like the same music or it was from the semi-confession that confirmed what I regretted, that the alleged 'D & S' were indeed Dean and Sam. I convinced myself for the time being that it was the first option since I didn't want any reason to like this Dean guy but both thoughts were forgotten when I heard Sam question Dean about Casey.

"You doubted her?" I could hear the confusion from Sam as if the question alone was foreign when it involved the two in question: Casey and Dean.

"I doubted the fact she said she had ALL of my songs on that little device." Dean defended.

"Yeah well, those little devices can hold quite a lot of stuff." Sam agreed but I was confused. _Aren't they just listening to the radio?_

"Plus I wanted to end this little oblivious charade that we've got going on." Dean randomly stated and I wasn't sure what he meant.

"Dean." I could hear the warning tone coming from Sam but the next phase was what startled me.

"Derek, get out of the kitchen right now!" _What the hell?_ I was stock still frozen once Dean shouted for me to come out of the kitchen. So many questions were going through my mind but mainly, how the hell did he know I was back here? I was quiet (which was hard with some of the things they said), I was still and I know I was hidden from their sight since I couldn't see them.

I slowly walked a few steps forward until I was in the middle of the threshold between the kitchen and the living/dining room. I could see Sam had turned in my dad's seat to look at me with a smirk on his face and I noticed he was wearing different clothes. _When did he change? _Sam was now wearing this navy blue spring jacket, dark blue jeans and black boots while wearing a white t-shirt underneath a red plaid button up shirt. **(A/N: Sam is wearing the outfit from "Hell House" [1.17] when he comes out of the library). **

I shifted my gaze to Dean (in Nora's seat) who was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest with a very smug smirk on his face with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Dean too had an outfit change since he now sported a brown leather jacket with the collar up, blue ripped jeans and black boots. His jacket was open so I could see the dark blue button up shirt that wasn't buttoned up, revealing a black t-shirt underneath as well as an amulet around his neck. **(A/N: Dean is wearing this outfit from "Dead in the Water" [1.03] when they first interview Will Carlton except it's a black t-shirt, not gray). **My first impression of Dean being the bad boy type with a cocky attitude was just confirmed by that one outfit. I shifted my gaze between the two of them before I found my voice again.

"How'd you know it was me? I could have been a burglar for all you knew." I questioned without the confusion in my voice but all it did was have Dean sporting off a knowing-grin. _I hate that grin!_ Dean uncrossed his arms and had his hand ready as if he was going to list off where I went wrong. _Oh boy. _

"Well it wasn't Nora because there would have been tons of noise once the three younger kids came in with her and your dad plus I figured you for the sneaky type who was hoping to get some blackmail dirt on Casey by eavesdropping on us. Am I right?" My eyes widened at Dean's reasoning causing him to chuckle and for me to quickly compose myself to the doesn't-bother-me façade.

"But how?" I was curious to see where I went wrong, but I wasn't going to admit that. I was expecting Dean to answer but I whipped around when I heard Sam's voice instead.

"It also didn't help that I heard the back door's lock click open followed by the door. Plus no burglar is stupid enough to rob a house in the middle of the afternoon." I saw the stereo's remote on the table by Sam before I looked at his face that held his own smirk that resembled his brother's as if he was questioning me to deny his reasoning. I was about to accept that challenge but Dean interrupted.

"I also saw your shadow too. You're not very good with the sneaking around kid." I snapped to look at the older man after he called me 'kid'.

"I'm not a kid, I did just graduate, or did you forget already?" I snapped back at him but he seemed unfazed. _What will it take to unnerve this guy?_

"Nope but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the restaurant?" He questioned as I cocked my eyebrow at his question.

"First off, it's my house and I can be here if I want to be, it's you that I should be asking that question." I stated in that intimating tone I usually use with Edwin or with whoever I wanted to know that I meant business and that I had a powerful influence._ *cough*Casey*cough*_ Again, Dean was unfazed. I wanted to huff because I wasn't getting the reaction I wanted but I decided not to.

"Oh, well we're just listening to some music while a certain someone takes her sweet time changing." He started off innocently before he ended off with sarcasm when he was referring to Casey. Casey always did take forever when she was changing clothes so I could only sympathize with him there.

I looked towards the stereo that worked with the remote Sam had and I saw a white Ipod in its dock with the light on, signaling that it was in use. Casey and I were the only ones to have the same Ipod but mine was the black one so…

"Isn't that Casey's Ipod?" I diverted the attention to the stereo causing both brothers to stare at me in confusion before reverting their glances to the Ipod in question and then back to me.

"Yeah, so?" Dean asked as if he wondered why it matter. I focused on the song and realized that even though "Back in Black" was over, the next song was still from AC/DC.

"Well, why is AC/DC coming off of it?" I questioned since Casey doesn't listen to rock music so it made no sense why said music would be coming off of her Ipod. _I doubt that they would be able to answer but it didn't hurt to try. _

"You know AC/DC?" Sam questioned with surprise as if he expected no one else to know who they were. Sure AC/DC wasn't listened to much these days but if you're a rock fan, then you have to know who AC/DC is.

"Who doesn't? Their stuff is actually good. I'm surprised that Space Case has them on her Ipod." I meant to keep it as a simple answer but I couldn't stop it until my surprise was mentioned. I got a groan from Sam as he held his head in his hands but Dean was smirking out of amusement. _Was he amused that his brother was groaning or was it something I said?_

"Lighten up Sammy. This just got even more interesting." Dean said with his amusement clear in his voice as he continued to stare at me. I was getting even more confused.

"Says you," Sam mumbled a bit before taking his head out of his hands and looking between me and Dean. "I feel like I just walked into the Twilight Zone." Sam exclaimed. I continued to look at Sam expecting him to explain but it never came. I could feel Dean's eyes on my back slightly but I ignored the feeling.

"Now you know how I feel Sammy." The all too familiar voice came from behind me causing me to whip around and freeze in my tracks.

I knew that Sam and Dean's attention was now on Casey as she was standing on the platform at the bottom of the stairs but I couldn't make myself move. I knew that both brothers were now standing because I heard Sam's chair scuffle on the hardwood floor behind me while I could still see Dean in my peripheral vision and he seemed to tense when he saw Casey. I really couldn't blame him and I'm pretty sure it had to do with what Casey was wearing.

Casey's hair was different from the ceremony as it now had curls but it was still pinned up like it was earlier. **(A/N: Casey's hair as it was when her and Derek were home alone in "March Break"). **She was wearing a jean skirt that was definitely shorter than her graduation dress as it showed more of her toned dancer legs. _Wait, what? Do not go there._ I pushed that line of thought away as I subtly looked her over again. She had these really high heel boots that end at her ankles and they appeared to be black leather. _Note to self: make sure not to make her mad enough that she'd want to impale one of the spiked heels into you. _

I think the most shocking for me to see was the leather jacket she was wearing. Sure Casey would dress to impress when it came to these high school parties and yes, the heels were a surprise since she is still a klutz but it's the jacket that stunned me the most because I don't ever recall her even wearing it before, let alone having it. _Wait she wore something like that last year, was it the same one?_ It seemed to fit her perfectly as the jacket was left open with the sleeves slightly rolled so they gave off the ¾ sleeve style. I could see the charm bracelet on her right wrist that she barely took off as well as that stupid silver ring on her right ring finger. _What is so special about those?_ The silver necklace she was wearing at graduation was still around her neck **(A/N: I may not have mentioned it earlier in the story but Casey did wear it with her graduation dress like she did in the episode)** with a line of purple stones around it, connecting to her top that had purple, blue, white and black on it but with no identifiable pattern on it. Overall, she looked…..well…..I'm not even going to go there because that means I'm admitting it which I won't. _She's still my keener step-sister but man, does she look hot. Crap, I can't believe I just thought that! _

It may have seemed like a long time that I was staring at Casey (I wasn't ogling or anything, I was just in shock) but it was only for a minute or two until the silence was broken….by Dean.

"What the hell are you wearing?" I could hear the anger in Dean's voice as he continued to stare her down. I didn't know why, but I was a little bit worried, for Casey.

"Uh, clothes? I thought it was obvious." Casey replied back in a smartass way ending it off with a smirk as she looked defiantly at Dean. I could feel my eyes widen with the sudden attitude use from Casey.

"Don't give me those smartass comments Casey." Dean berated as he stared daggers at her. I could heard Sam shuffle behind me but it still startled me a bit when I heard him whisper "_Don't say a word Derek_," to me before he sidestepped to stand beside me as the confrontation in front of me unfolded.

"And here I thought I was loosing my touch with those." Casey's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. I took a glance at Dean and it wasn't what I was expecting, not from him. His demeanor wasn't the playful, arrogant guy from before but it held an overprotective vibe to it that I was thinking of labeling it under as obsessive.

"Casey." Sam tried to defuse the situation but it didn't work. In return he got Dean's hand motion for Sam to stop speaking while Casey was smirking. _What the hell has gotten into her? _Dean was pinching the bridge of his nose before sliding it down the rest of his face, in a way I believe was supposed to calm him down.

"I repeat. What. The. Hell. Are. You. Wearing?" His voice was more demanding this time but it didn't seem to faze Casey in the slightest. I thought she would have flinched or something while Dean was acting as if he's a father that just caught his daughter sneaking out in inappropriate clothing. _Why would that thought come to mind? I know for a fact that Dean is not Casey's father plus Dean only looks like he's a few years older than us. _I shook the insane thought out of my head. I saw Casey uncross her arms as she innocently looked herself over before she looked back to Dean.

"My outfit for the party tonight since I'm not gonna change again after dinner." She said so nonchalantly that I actually believed that she didn't know what was wrong with it but it was the smirk on her face that told me otherwise. I still couldn't believe that Dean was making such a big deal out of it.

"Oh no. There is no way you're leaving this house wearing that!" Dean kept shaking his head while throwing his arms around as he gestured to her clothes. Come to think of it, Dean was acting a lot more protective of what Casey was wearing compared to how Nora reacted when Casey wore that babe raider outfit a few years back. Then again, Dad, Edwin and I reacted more than her during our emergency guys' meeting. _Which_ _was_ _odd or maybe it's a guy thing to react like that._ I got why dad was freaking out, I understood Edwin's confusion of the whole feminism business but why was I a little worried? I do remember thinking that she was looking hot but I couldn't acknowledge that or admit that. It was a simple lapse in judgment on my part; I simply forgot that the girl who was dressed like my video game goddess was my keener stepsister. I don't even like admitting it now but why did I care? Why do I still care?

"Why not? It's just an outfit Dean." Casey questioned as she tilted her head to the side as she watched Dean's movements as he started pacing a little. I looked to my side and saw that Sam was watching his brother as well. _I wonder if he knows why he's freaking out. _

Dean stopped in his tracks and glared at the girl on the platform. "More like an invitation. You're just asking for trouble." Dean finished off with his arms crossed over his chest, practically challenging Casey to argue with his reasoning. _He does have a point, her outfit is just all too inviting to guys…why do I care? Remember the Venturi-McDonald treaty agreement Derek, remember it! Do not get involved in personal lives! _I looked back to Casey and she was still smirking but she was now on the hardwood floor as her heels clicked in place.

"Then I welcome it with open arms." Casey confidently stated as if she could take on the world all on her own.

I was intrigued by this new type of confidence that seemed to radiate off her. She held herself as if she's had it all her life but I've never seen her like this, and if I had, I wouldn't expect it so soon after one of her break ups. Granted Truman was scum but there was still some form of a break up reaction from Casey. I wasn't sure if what happened at prom between them had anything to do with this new-found confidence but I wasn't going to analyze it, hoping that what I saw was just another hallucination. It was still too unbelievable to comprehend what Casey had done. For now I say it never happened, that whole night has too many unsolved questions.

"You can not be serious." Dean's furious tone snapped me back to reality as he moved closer to stand in front of Casey as he still seemed to tower over her in her heels, trying to intimidate her from the looks of it. Casey's expression softened as she looked up at Dean slightly.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, not when you and Sam are gonna be there." She admitted as a soft smile appeared on her face. I chose to ignore the weird feeling in my stomach as I waited to see what Dean would do.

"And what if we never came today, then what?" Dean's voice wasn't angry anymore but it still held a tense tone as he asked. I could even feel the tension coming off of Sam who stood in place beside me. I looked to him and I saw that he wanted in on their conversation but he just couldn't do it, he seemed like he was waiting for the right time.

"I would have had to boost up on my defenses. You know I can handle myself." Casey quipped, trying her best to defuse Dean's temper.

"She's right Dean." Sam added in causing both me and Casey to look at the taller man. "She handled herself during that freshman frenzy of hers and she handled herself while she was here." I quirked my eyebrow in question when Sam mentioned her being in a freshman frenzy. _That should be interesting intel._ Dean's head seemed to snap as he made eye contact with his brother.

"Those were high school guys! Nothing is gonna stop the other guys now that she's graduated." I could see the anger and fear in Dean's eyes when he implied the scenarios that Casey could get herself in to, as if he was trying to communicate with Sam how bad it could get. I gulped as the actual thought crossed my mind. _Great, Dean is ruining my night by implanting these caring thoughts into my head. _

"Ugh, Dean, I've been legal for awhile now and nothing's happened." Casey's voice snapped all our attentions back to her. I wanted to object to that and mention Truman but I remembered Sam's whispered warning moments ago and decided not to get on either Casey or Dean's bad side tonight. _Don't need them ruining my night even more._

"Just let me have this for tonight Dean, I deserve to celebrate like everyone else. I worked hard to get where I am, just like you told me to, so don't I deserve to celebrate it and let loose after everything I've been through?" She paused as she gauged Dean's reaction and when she wasn't getting anywhere, she continued on. "I promise to never wear which ever part of the outfit that bugs you but please, let me wear it tonight." Casey practically pleaded while sporting a pout that sometimes she and Marti used against me to get me to do something. _He's a goner. _The pout always works when Marti does it, and it occasionally works when Casey does it but no one knows that_. _

Dean sighed. "You promise?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I promise." Casey smiled afterwards and Dean just gave a smirk back.

"Good 'cause it's only the skirt that bugs me." Dean quipped as he looked her up and down. For some reason, that little action bugged me. Sam chuckled beside me.

"It's 'cause you're not use to her in a skirt Dean." He teased as his older brother turned to glare at him.

"Shut up." I could see it in Dean's eyes that he was just playing around and it seemed like Sam knew it too since he just scoffed.

"So I can wear it?" Casey looked between Dean and Sam as if waiting for permission. _She never asked for permission before, why ask now and why them? _I looked quizzically at her but she was too busy waiting for an answer.

"Yeah I guess so." Dean finally said as he started to scratch the back of his neck as he looked at her. I could see the smile slowly grow on her face as her excitement increased. If she weren't wearing heels, I think she'd be jumping up and down in joy. _Sometimes, girls are weird. _

"Yes!" I could see that she was tempted to clap her hands to celebrate her clothing victory, but she resisted.

"Just one more thing." Dean added causing her smile to falter but his own smirk was in place. Sam groaned.

"What?" Casey was hesitant to ask and I even knew it.

"Take the jacket off." Dean innocently stated as if it was the simplest thing to do but it caused Casey's eyes to widen.

"Wh-what? Why?" Casey slightly stuttered and I couldn't help but wonder why? _What are you hiding, Case?_

"Just humor me Case, I'm already letting you wear the outfit for tonight." Dean reasoned as Casey sighed in defeat as she took her leather jacket off. As Casey held her jacket in her hands, Dean gently turned Casey around so that he could see her back. Dean sighed and started pinching his nose as he closed his eyes. I knew from the lack of fabric by Casey's shoulders that her upper back was bare. _Seems like Dean doesn't like that. _

"Please tell me you didn't wear clothes like this during your freshman frenzy." Dean practically pleaded, hoping that he would like the answer she gave him but I interjected before she could say anything.

"What freshman frenzy?" I needed to know what that was about.

"Casey had a serial dating phase back in freshman year." Sam answered for me and my eyes widened in surprise as I looked to Casey who was staring daggers at Sam while Dean was smirking at his brother. I couldn't believe that she was a serial dater like me when she barely had dates when she moved here. I was too shocked to feel irritated for all the times she's lectured me on my dating style when she's done it herself. _Hypocrite_.

"But I thought you went to an all-girls private school before the wedding?" I asked causing Casey to remove her glare from Sam and look at me for the first time since she came down.

"I did." She was smirking but it still didn't make sense.

"But then how?" I voiced my confusion while I saw that Dean too was waiting for an answer.

"Just because I went to an all-girls school doesn't mean that I was cut off from guys. The all-boys private school wasn't that far away. The two schools usually teamed up together for social events." She explained as if it was no big deal.

"But when we met, you were in a uniform." I stated as I remembered getting Ralph to pretend to be me when I was supposed to be meeting Casey for the first time.

"You had to wear school uniforms?" Dean questioned in shock as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah. Private schools tend to have that fact in common." Casey smirked as she looked to Dean, I could have sworn that his face paled a bit. _What's wrong now? _

"Great." Dean wiped his hand over his face before he continued on. "No wonder you had that frenzy, you were practically living out every teenage boy's fantasy." He grumbled as he glared at Casey who shrugged her shoulders.

"Not every boy has that fantasy Dean." Sam defended as I rolled my eyes. Even I knew that all guys got that fantasy.

"You and I both know that every guy has had a fantasy of a girl in a school uniform." Dean stated and I wanted to deny that fact but I couldn't.

"Great, I didn't need that association, thank you very much." I grumbled since I didn't need another reminder of the fact that Casey had been in a school girl uniform regularly in the past. _Don't think about it, don't think about it. Keener, she's a keener. _I kept repeating it in my head. _Why am I thinking like this now?_

"Oh quit denying it." Dean directed that towards me before pointing a finger at Casey. "And you should have been homeschooled." Sam scoffed while Casey only smirked.

"Where's the fun in that?" She quipped as she looked to Dean, who only groaned.

"Dear God, I need a beer."

"I second that." Sam added.

"It hasn't even been a day yet and I've already gotten you two wanting to drink; wow….I'm good." Casey smirked at that observation as I now looked at her with more confusion. _She wants that to happen?_

"Something tells me I'm gonna have a very long hangover while I'm here." Dean admits as he heads over to the stairs to pick up a duffel bag that I hadn't seen there before.

"Can I join you?" Casey innocently asked as she put her leather jacket back on.

"Geez, I forgot how annoying you could be." Dean quipped as he straightened himself up as Casey gave a little laugh.

"But you missed me." Casey smiled as Dean narrowed his eyes on her. "Now grab my Ipod and lets hit the road. Didn't you say you were hungry?" Casey looked to Sam before directing the last part to Dean who was already heading for the door. Sam was already grabbing Casey's Ipod as I stood frozen in my spot. "Don't be late Derek, 'cause we're not waiting forever for you to arrive." Casey called back to me before the trio exited out of the house.

Once I heard the car's engine, I rushed upstairs to change into a darker pair of jeans and the brown button up shirt that I wore to James Burton's party last year. No way was I going to leave those three alone at the restaurant for a long period of time. Something was up with Casey and those two brothers and I was determined to figure it out.

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**Casey's Course Reasoning**

Gr. 9:

1) English _(must)_

2) Math _(must)_

3) Science _(must)_

4) Canadian Geography _(must)_

5) French _(must)_

6) Gym _(must)_ - stay in shape

7) Technology - alarm systems, computer hacking

8) Drama - Role Playing (perfect lying to an art form)

Gr. 10:

1) English _(must)_

2) Math _(must)_

3) Science _(must)_

4) Canadian History _(must)_

5) Civics/Careers _(must)_

6) Gym - stay in shape

7) Food & Nutrition - learn to cook

8) Spanish - language barrier

Gr. 11:

1) English _(must)_

2) Math _(must)_

3) Gym - stay in shape

4) Chemistry - explosives

5) Biology - anatomy/field med

6) Physics - projectiles (weapon mechanics like guns, etc.)

7) American History - history of the land they travel on

8) Anthropology/Sociology/Psychology - get into people's mind set

Gr. 12

1) English _(must)_

2) Math - pool/billards, counting cards

3) Gym - stay in shape

4) Biology - anatomy/field med

5) Law - learn the system to figure out ways to outsmart it

6) Physics - projectiles

7) Latin - exorcisms

8) Music - for fun

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**

**Music Disclaimers: **I don't own the songs used in this chapter. It was just used for solely entertainment purposes only. (I hope that covered it)

"_Me, Myself and Time_" belongs to Demi Lovato and her record label.

"_Zero Gravity_" belongs to David Archuleta and his record label.

"_Baby_" belongs to Justin Bieber and his record label. (it was the song that was 'unfinished')

"_Back in Black_" belongs to AC/DC and their record label.

**

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A/N #5: **So how was this? How did I portray Dean or Derek? Sorry if there was more repeat in dialogue but originally I wasn't going to have Derek eavesdropping on the Winchesters but then the idea presented itself and I just had to do it. Hopefully more of the Winchesters' altered history was cleared up and as for Derek, he's already trying to accept his unexpected friendship with Casey which is why he is fighting specific thoughts when they involve Casey. I hope that was clear in this chapter. Also sorry for all those A/N's throughout the story (I personally hate them but I thought it was necessary in this case).

**A/N #6: **The link that shows Casey's outfit is UP ON MY PROFILE as well as some other photos. If you need one for Sam, Dean and Derek then let me know (I'll only show outfits for this chapter since it is for the family dinner/grad party).

**A/N #7: **Thank you so much for reading, reviewing and adding this to your alerts. It really means a lot to me once again. So **please** don't forget to **leave a review** and tell me what you think =D (no flames please cause I know those would make me sad). Don't forget to check out the outtakes too! Have a great weekend!

**

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Originally Published: **July 24, 2010

**Edited: **October 10, 2010**  
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	6. Ch 5: Who's A Hypocrite?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 5: Who's A Hypocrite?  
**

**A/N #1:** I am SO SORRY for the month long delay but I wanted to get this whole scene done in one chapter but then it was getting over 20,000+ words so I later decided with some help to split the dinner scene into two chapters so the second half is definitely longer than the first and still not complete. I just had so many dialogue options running through my head and they all led to a different ending for the scene and not where I generally wanted to end it off.

**A/N #2: **I just want to thank all my readers and reviewers for your support and loving words. They mean the world to me and they definitely put a smile on my face every time. **Thank you SO MUCH!** You guys are the best!

**A/N #3: **I'm half way through my very short summer break and I wish I could update more but my parents are tough when it comes to how long I'm on the computer (during the school year, I have no supervision like that so I would be on 24/7 practically) but I'm trying my best with the writing. **I did get a LiveJournal account! **I have been putting almost daily updates on story statuses and what-not plus I have master lists for all my stories so all the links will be there. **So check it out!**

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

**

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Pox Father", "Date With Derek", "Don't Take A Tip From Me", "Tuesday Afternoon Fever" and "Truman's Last Chance"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **N/A

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

**

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Casey's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

I was last to leave the house, telling Derek not to be late, as I locked the door behind me. Sam was already in shotgun as Dean was just closing the trunk where he placed my overnight duffel bag. Part of the reason I was taking so long in getting ready was because I had to pack some clothes to sleep in and for the next day just in case. I also packed some things that I originally brought with me when I came to live with Aunt Nora, which thankfully, no one has had access to thanks to the little safe that she got for me that held my hunter's duffel bag. I already knew there was a possibility that I would be staying at the motel with my brothers so I needed to be prepared, something a hunter always has ingrained in their brains: be prepared.

The Impala's engine was already roaring to life, causing me to rush into the back seat silently. I knew I was going to get an earful from Dean now that Derek wasn't present and I knew that Sam was expecting it too. So both Sam and I waited for Dean to say something but he just started to pull out onto the road and started to drive. I gulped because a silent Dean was never good. As Dean was getting to the edge of the street, I told him the address to the restaurant but he only nodded as he remained silent as he made the turn.

"A little warning would have been nice _Cassandra_ so I don't loose my head next time!" Dean angrily stated a few moments later as his grip on the steering wheel tightened causing his knuckles to go white. I cringed at the use of my full name since we knew then that Dean was pissed. I sighed.

"I didn't think you'd freak out that much." I whispered enough that he could hear me over the Impala's engine. "Sam handled it fine." I reasoned, hoping Dean would lighten up a little.

"I still agree with Dean though, you shouldn't be wearing an outfit that exposes so much skin." Sam defended as he continued to look forward.

"Plus I could have given away our connection to you by using the brother card." Dean added in, making me feel a little bit guilty of springing my outfit on them like that. I guess I forgot that the last time they personally saw me, I dressed for hunting comfort (if you don't count them seeing me in a dress for the dance contest's broadcast or my grad dress from earlier).

"But it's just an outfit. After this week, there would be no use for me to wear clothes like this anymore. One more week and then they're gone." I explained, hoping they would get why I was wearing what I was. I was originally going to wear this anyways (with or without them present) but now I didn't have to worry as much since they both would be there to have my back.

"So you expect us, your older brothers, to sit back and watch guys try to take advantage of you?" Dean questioned as he looked in the rear view mirror and I caught his incredulous gaze.

"_'__Try'_ being the operative word. Nothing's gonna happen to me." I assured them both.

Dean sighed. "You don't know that."

"I don't but you don't know that something will happen to me." I countered but Dean scoffed.

"I'm a guy. I already know that there will be attempts from other douche bags. All guys practically think the same, no matter what they portray themselves as." Sam turned to Dean, ready with a protest but Dean sent him a 'don't argue with me' glare causing Sam to shut his mouth.

"Then I'll use that to my advantage." I nonchalantly stated causing Sam to whip around in his seat to look at me.

"What?" I stared at Sam as I said the one name that would explain my actions. _Derek_. Dean groaned and I could see Sam had rolled his eyes before he turned to face Dean.

"Oh, great Case. Now I really want to kill that kid." Dean exclaimed causing me to roll my eyes. The merged family think I'm overdramatic, well they haven't gotten to know Dean like I have. _Where do you think I learned it from?_

"Dean." Sam berated as I tried to hide my smirk from them.

"What? I do." Dean confirmed as he quickly glanced to his side to glare at Sam.

"Let her explain." Sam told our brother before Dean huffed, which was my cue to explain, which I did.

I told them that I was originally going to wear the outfit to the grad party to prove to Derek that I can have fun and not have some keener reputation hold me back. I was going to hang out with Emily and if a guy was being too forward towards me then I wasn't going to hold back when it came to teaching the idiot a lesson, since I would have no real authority to worry about. I wouldn't be drinking because of the promise I made to them and my training would help me to stay safe.

"And all this to prove a point?" Sam tilted his head to the side as he turned back around to look at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, for three years he's been ragging on me about how boring I am or rule-conscious I am, so I wanted to prove that what you see is not all you get when it comes to me." I finished off with the feel of one of my jacket pocket's vibrating. _My cell phone. _I checked both pockets (each one held a cell phone inside) until I pulled out the one Derek had given me a few months after the wedding when he had the chicken pox, which read _**1 New Text Message **_on the screen.

"Sounds like you just want him to see that you can be _his_ type of girl." Dean speculated causing me to smirk. Seems like Dean hasn't lost his touch on knowing what's going on inside my head at times.

I opened the text message from Lizzie that said they would be five to ten minutes late because of some hold up with traffic. I texted her back saying '_That's fine, see you in a few'_ before I looked back up to see that Sam was staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Got a text?" He questioned as he stared at my phone before I put it back in my pocket, as I told them about the delay the rest of the family are having. Sam nodded before he continued. "Anyways, I asked before and I'm asking again: are you ever going to tell him that you like him?" My eyes widened.

"Hell no! Plus if I did that, chances are he'd ignore me just so he wouldn't have to talk feelings and I rather not have that my last week here." I quickly blurted out before I heard Dean give a soft chuckle, causing both Sam and I to stare at our brother.

"What? He's a smart kid to want to avoid _those_ talks." Dean explained causing both Sam and I to shake our heads.

"So basically, this week is when Canada gets to see the real Casey Winchester in action?" I gave an affirmative nod to Sam causing him to sigh. "You know you're just gonna get hurt if you do that, right."

"But then I'd be wondering 'what if'? Wondering if Derek could actually like the real me."

"And if he does then what? You're still leaving and he'll still think you're his stepsister. What could you possibly benefit from this week if you do continue on with your plan?" Dean questioned as I looked out the window to see that we were getting closer to the restaurant.

I didn't answer immediately because I didn't really know what to say. Why was I going back to the old me now if I only had to wait one more week? Was it because I can't be Casey McDonald anymore? Was the new presence of my brothers the reason for me to want to bring my Winchester roots to the front so badly? What do I truly want out of my final week in London? I know I wanted to make tons of memories this summer with my extended family but now that all had to be crammed into one week. Was I willing to have my Winchester attitude revealed in hopes that Derek would want to hang out with me and have some fun? _Yeah, maybe that's it_. I sighed before I looked between Sam and Dean.

"I'd have more memories that I could cherish. I know nothing can happen; I wish it could if it came to that but either way, I can't be with him." I reasoned and I knew they could hear the slight defeated vibe in my voice. I didn't want to think like that but it was the truth.

"Why's that?" Sam softly asked and I knew he was trying to be sympathetic. It's probably the reason why I saw Dean tense up behind the wheel.

"Our lives, _the_ lie, it's the reason why I can't be with him. I'm nothing special either compared to every other girl he's gone out with." I explained as I continued to look at the window, I couldn't look at anyone when I said that.

No matter how much confidence I had, the idea just diminishes it all away for some unknown reason. I couldn't be with Derek in London because of that stepsibling label that the lie has put me in and I certainly can't have him coming with me as I would continue with the family business. There was no denying that Derek, on countless occasions, has stated that I wasn't good enough for anyone. Sure, I knew he was doing it to piss me off but I always wondered how much he believed in what he told me; did he mean the insults he directed towards me?

"Don't sell yourself short Case." I turned to Sam to see the soft smile on his face causing me to smile. "Any guy would be lucky to have you in their lives." Sam finished as Dean turned the engine off. I looked outside to see that we were parked right in front of the restaurant in a packed parking lot.

"Yeah, Sammy and I are probably the luckiest guys in the world because no matter what happens, we'll always have you in our lives. Sure it's completely different compared to the guys Sam was referring to but if I had to pick any girl to be my sister, I'd always pick you Case."

"You two are definitely the best big brothers a girl can ask for." I beamed after my brothers' words. They could always cheer me up even with the clichéd responses because when it came from them, I knew they meant it; especially from Dean since he doesn't do that many 'chick-flick moments' with an audience around (usually it's just me and him when he caves in to that particular rule).

"I think that's enough, we're here. We will continue this later though." Dean practically ordered as he took the keys out of the ignition and made his way out of the car with Sam and me following his lead.

Before I could walk ahead, Dean's voice stopped me, causing me to turn around to face him, still standing by the Impala. "Oh and Case, no more surprises tonight that will give me a heart attack, okay?" He finished off with a smug smile plastered on his face. I quirked an eyebrow as I titled my head to the side as I looked at him.

"A little melodramatic, don't you think?" I smirked causing Dean to laugh as both of my brothers were walking towards me. Sam was smiling as he walked past me to the door as Dean turned me around, flung an arm over my shoulder as he lead me to the front door.

"With you, no." Dean replied back before we entered the crowded restaurant.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

The restaurant was overflowing even at the early hour and one could only assume that other graduating families had the same thought that we had. Dean was already up at the podium once he set his eyes on the redheaded hostess causing both Sam and I to roll our eyes at our brother's flirtatious ways as we grabbed a seat to wait. We were five minutes early so I was pretty sure that our table wasn't completely ready since we needed nine seats and from the fact that Dean was still charming the skirt off the girl as she tried to subtly flirt back while remaining professional for her job.

In a hushed tone, Sam told me that both him and Dean would help me out any way they could with my plan and I couldn't help but hug him for the support. I knew that Sam hadn't told Dean that yet but I still couldn't help myself. I told Sam that I just needed them to be themselves and I would naturally be myself back, as if riding a bike, my Winchester ways would come back to me. He agreed and mentioned that I didn't seem any different, attitude wise and I was ecstatic that I hadn't lost my touch.

I checked my watch as Sam asked some questions about the Venturis and what they knew for sure about me. I told them that I never mentioned their names before and that they think Aunt Nora and Uncle Dennis are my parents plus I reminded him to remember everything I've told them over our many phone calls. Sam is usually the brother that remembers details so I didn't have to replay everything to him again which was a good thing since it wasn't until moments later that I felt that all too familiar presence enter the restaurant…Derek.

* * *

**Derek's POV**

_Once I heard the car's engine, I rushed upstairs to change into a darker pair of jeans and the brown button up shirt that I wore to James Burton's party last year. No way was I going to leave those three alone at the restaurant for a long period of time. Something was up with Casey and those two brothers and I was determined to figure it out._

It didn't take me long to get to the restaurant with the short cuts I took that I found during my time at Smelly Nellie's. The restaurant was probably a five minute drive from work so the only delay I really had was the traffic around it. Finding a parking spot was difficult at the crowded restaurant but once I did find one, I checked my watch to see that surprisingly, I was on time for once.

As I quickly got out of the Prince and headed for the front doors, I saw the black car that once again caused me to groan. _They're already here._ Once I was safely off the road, I did a double take and noticed that my dad's car wasn't parked there. I groaned again as I walked inside but the sudden idea of interrogating the two older men came to mind since Dad and Nora wouldn't be around to stop me. I was smirking the whole time until I saw for myself how crowded the restaurant was. I scanned the room and saw that Casey was sitting down off to the side with Sam, so I slightly pushed my way towards them. I noticed as I got closer, Casey stopped talking but she didn't make any indication that she knew I was there. _What was she hiding?_ I couldn't help but think since it seemed like her actions caused Sam to stop talking too.

"You know Case, you tell me not to be late yet here I am, on time and not at a table. Plus the rest of the fam aren't even here yet." I complained as my greeting to her and I saw her roll her eyes at me as I caught Sam glancing between the two of us.

"For once you're actually on time, well done Derek." She bit back sarcastically as she looked up at me from her seat. I knew I was sporting an amused grin and surprisingly, so was Sam.

"As for the rest of the family, Lizzie texted me saying that traffic was holding them up and that they'd be here; ten minutes tops." She continued and I groaned because if they were late, that meant we had to wait to eat too.

"How long ago was that?" I annoyingly asked as I surveyed the restaurant.

"Maybe five minutes ago, I don't know. I got it while we were still on the road. Geez, you're crabby when you're hungry." She replied back with an irritated tone causing me to look at her once again.

"Aren't I always?" I chirped with a smirk causing her to groan but before I could say anything about her actions, Sam interrupted us.

"Can you both not do this now?" The taller man said as he stood up from his seat, followed by Casey. I had to step back a bit so I wouldn't have to crane my neck so much.

"Why's that?" I asked Sam but he wasn't looking at me or at Casey.

"Because our table's ready, now let's go." Sam simply stated as he started leading Casey up to the podium and to our seats. I was confused since neither of them weren't anywhere near the podium plus I didn't see the hostess coming to get us.

"How'd you-they didn't call us." I nonchalantly stated causing Sam to stop in his tracks to turn to me, as Casey paused to wait.

"Dean was signaling us over while you two were arguing." Sam explained before turning back to Casey but his words did make sense since I hadn't seen Dean when I entered the restaurant.

"We weren't arguing." Casey retorted to Sam causing me to roll my eyes at her denial, even I knew that we were on some level arguing. Whether it was the real kind or the fun kind, who knew, it was still a form of fighting that we were doing.

"And I don't have a womanizer big brother." I scoffed when Sam countered Casey back in a way that said 'yeah right' as we arrived to our table; a very round table near the back of the restaurant that had nine seats surrounding it. I could smell the strong aromas that came from the kitchen and it was making my mouth water.

"What about your amazing big brother Sammy?" Dean's question broke through my haze and I saw him sporting a smug smirk directed at his younger brother as Casey seemed to be moving closer to Dean.

"Nothing you don't already know Dean." Sam retorted back with a glare causing Dean to laugh just a little as a smile formed on Casey's face.

"Well, I'll see you all shortly when the rest of your party arrives." The hostess voices her goodbye and that was when I first noticed her presence. The hostess was definitely a hot redhead who looked perfect and I knew for a fact that I hadn't seen her before but then again the restaurant has hired multiple hostesses. _I'd never forget a gorgeous face._ I could only smirk at the possible idea of taking her out for a night of Venturi fun.

"Thank you Kelly." Dean told the redheaded girl with an appreciative smile that caused Kelly to blush. My high hopes to snag the girl were put on hold the moment Dean said the hostess' name in that suave way that I've used myself.

"It's my pleasure." Kelly, the hostess, said before she wandered back to the front as Dean's eyes followed her every move as his appreciative smile turned into a smirk as he watched the way the girl was walking away. Dean had this hungry look in his eye as he continued to watch the redhead. She took a quick glance back towards our table before she turned the corner, leaving our sight.

I kept glancing my eyes back from where Kelly stood to where she left before I saw an arm hit Dean from the corner of my eye causing my head to whip back to see Dean clutching his arm (in a mock type of way) as he glared at…..Casey who had a smug smile on her face. I could hear Sam snickering beside me as he took his jacket off before hanging it over his chair and taking his seat. The hungry look in Dean's eyes were now gone as he was glaring at the brunette that I love to annoy to death.

"What was that for?" Dean questioned before he grabbed the seat next to Sam and pulled it out. I thought he was going to take the seat for himself but he motioned for Casey to take the seat instead and she gladly did before she spoke.

"It was to get your head out of the gutter. Please, keep the dinner kid-friendly when the rest of the family joins us, Dean."

"My head isn't always in the gutter Casey. Have a little more faith in me, why don't you." Dean teased as he took the seat to Casey's immediate right.

"So what'd you get?" Sam questioned his brother as Casey gestured for me to take a seat, which I did but I left an empty one between me and Sam.

"What do you mean?" Dean replied innocently but I could see it in his eyes that he knew exactly what his brother was asking him as he took a glance at the menu.

"Oh come on Dean, from where I was sitting, you were working your charm on Kelly, am I right?" Surprisingly, it was Casey that was egging Dean on about what he got from the redheaded hostess.

I was confused since she's never acted so _interested_ in anyone else's dates before. Usually her interest in my dates was trying to figure out what was wrong with them since they would be dating me, of all people. I seriously don't get her problem since any girl would be lucky to date me, Derek Venturi. I don't treat girls badly as she assumes since I went on a date with three of her friends (Emily, Kendra and Sally) and I know that they praise my behavior, it's only Casey that gets the 'obnoxious jerk' side as she constantly calls it. I don't know why that is but, it is what it is.

I see Dean placing his menu down as he rests his crossed arms on the table before turning his head to look at Casey, who was still reading her menu. "So what if I was? What's it to you Case? Didn't you just hit me moments ago?" He finished with a smirk as he continued to stare at the brunette beside him who was acting as if his eyes weren't glued to her face.

"Oh, I'm just curious, that's all. Like Sammy. And I only hit you to bring you back down from your thoughts." Casey nonchalantly stated as if she didn't know that Dean was staring at her while she looked at the menu but I could see her lips twitching a bit as if she's holding back a smirk of her own. _Since when does Casey smirk so much?_ I looked to Sam and saw that he was still looking at the menu but when Casey mentioned his name, I did see him jerk up to look between his brother and my stepsister before shaking his head and glancing back down.

"Well, you know the saying that curiosity killed the cat right?" Dean evilly grinned as he waited for Casey to look up at him. I could hear soft chuckles coming from the girl as she looked up at me with a triumphant grin and a mischievous look in her eyes before looking directly at Dean with a comeback on the tip of her tongue.

"Ah, but said cat has nine lives." Casey was smirking now and I was definitely amused with that logic. _Why hadn't I thought of that? _Dean was still smirking as if he's heard it before but he still lets Casey continue. "Now don't change the subject on me Dean unless you've lost your touch in the past four years and you're too ashamed to admit it." She taunts him as they continue to stare each other down.

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe that she was calling a guy's ability to get a date to question. She's done it to me tons of times, sure but I couldn't believe she was doing it to Dean, a guy a lot bigger and definitely older than us. It was as if she wasn't afraid, since I could feel the confidence radiating off of her from across the table but it was as if she knew he'd never do anything to her in retaliation. I was starting to second guess that idea.

"I'm insulted that you would suggest such a ridiculous thing Cassandra." _Cassandra? _I resisted the urge to cringe because that can't be good if he's calling her by her full first name. That is probably the first time I've heard anyone say Casey's full name; Nora rarely got mad enough to use it. The only reason I knew it was even 'Cassandra' was when I snuck a peek at one of her report cards that had her full name on it. Dean had said it in a playful yet intimating way as if he was secretly telling Casey to 'knock it off' but both of them were smirking, as if they were waiting to see who would be the first one to crack.

I knew that I should be able to place the familiar vibe before me but I couldn't at the time. I could see Sam grow stiff in the corner of my eye before he drops his menu down onto the table and turns his attention to the almost-feuding duo. The tension from Sam had the realization hit me as I continued to look between Casey and Dean. _Is this how Casey and I look like when we fight?_

"Casey. Dean. I know it's been fours years but come on, grow up already. We're not kids anymore." Sam reasoned as he tried to diffuse the situation. I was just sitting there, now amused at what's happening in front of me that I was forgetting about the delicious aromas around me. _So this is what everyone else sees when Casey and I have one of our fights. _I easily thought but I did realize that although watching was fun, part of the thrill of the fight is being apart of it yourself.

"Relax Sammy, you know me and Case don't actually fight. It's just fun to see what the other would say in response. You know, to develop the quick thinking skill that we've all had to acquire at a very young age." Dean simply explained as he held his stare with Casey who was still smirking.

"So in other words, you're just testing me to see if I'm rusty or not." Casey added as she tilted her head to the side as she waited for his answer.

"Exactly. I have to witness it in person, you know, can't just take your word for it." Dean chuckles when Casey rolls her eyes and returns her attention to her menu. Throughout their whole little disagreement, I kept feeling like I was intruding or that I had this knot inside my stomach and I didn't know why. I looked to Sam and saw that he was unnerved by the duo after returning to his menu but I could still see the ghost of a smile on his face. _He likes it when they fight? _I would have to note to ask Edwin about what he feels when he watches my fights with Casey.

"So what's the verdict?" Casey asked while still looking at the menu but I knew that she wasn't reading it and I think Dean knew that too. He unfolded his arms that were still on the table and he shifted closer to Casey as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"You haven't lost your touch C." Dean told her as he squeezed her close to his side causing her to smile. I didn't think it was possible but for some reason that knot feeling got worse when I didn't see Casey flinch or pull away from Dean's touch. _Why do I care? _

Dean started to loosen his grip, allowing Casey to look at him as he leaned back in his chair, causing his arm to slip from Casey's shoulder to the back of her chair. Casey turned to face the older man with the smile still in place but she didn't get a chance to reply as another voice interrupted her, causing all eyes to go to the intruder, who happened to be a hot blonde.

"How is everyone doing this evening?" I turned to my left to see the hot blonde address the table as she maneuvered a notepad out from her smock. "Sorry for the delay, we're a bit short handed tonight." The waitress explained as she had her pen and paper ready for our orders. I took the blonde girl in and couldn't help but smirk at the possibilities. _Definitely my type. _

I turned to see the different expressions that the brothers and my stepsister were giving the waitress: Sam was giving a friendly smile while Casey was smiling but I could see the annoyed glint in her eye, which could be due to the fact that Dean was sporting another appreciative smile like he did with the hostess a short while ago. _What's Casey's problem?_

"It's not a problem Sweetheart." I could see the slight blush on the waitress after Dean's suave greeting. I could have sworn that I saw Casey roll her eyes before she turned to look at her menu while all of Dean's attention was on the blonde girl. _She could be pissed because Dean flat out ignored her, then again, why do I care? _I mentally shook my concern away, as I reasoned that a happy Casey meant a happy me because then she wouldn't be ragging on me the whole night and ruining my partying mood. Unfortunately, my own smirk was gone when all of the waitress' attention was on Dean.

"Well, I'm Layla and I'm your server for the evening." The waitress seemed to be only talking to Dean which caused myself to roll my eyes. It didn't seem like it bothered Sam but Casey still seemed tense from where I was sitting.

"It's nice to meet you Layla." I watched as Dean was practically charming this girl with the simple sentences we use every day while his arm was still draped over Casey's chair.

"So have you made your choices for the evening or would you like me to give you more time?" Layla finally took a glance to the rest of us and I gave her a smile when she set her eyes on me which got me a smile in return. _Success!_ I wasn't really paying attention to my menu since we've ate her many times for me to know what to order and I was completely ready to turn on my charm with the waitress but Dean was doing that all on his own.

"Actually Layla, the rest of the family should be here any moment but would our drink orders be enough for now?" Dean draws Layla's attention back to him as he removed his arm from Casey's chair to cross them in front of him once again as he leaned on the table once again. I could hear a soft chuckle from Sam as he was now watching his brother charm the girl and I could have sworn I saw Casey holding back a chuckle as well.

"Of course, sir." Layla cheerfully stated as she took in the number of empty seats at the table.

"Please, call me Dean." Dean flashed a smile that caused the girl to blush once again and I couldn't believe it. Dean's only saying common phrases that everyone uses yet he's already got this girl swooning over him. I was seething even more when I saw Casey smirking at me. _What's she so happy about?_

"Alright Dean, so what will it be?" Layla questioned but I could have sworn she had a double meaning in that question. I was thankful that none of the younger kids were here just in case. _Wait, what?_ I shook the concern away again because I sometimes make those types of comments all the time with them near by.

Dean smiled before he ordered a coke for himself. Dean continued to stare at Layla with that appreciative smile of his as he called us one by one to give our drink order; Casey with an ice tea, Sam with a coke and I just ordered a mountain dew.

"Alright then, I'll be back soon." Layla was placing her notepad back into her smock and was about to head out but Dean stopped her.

"Hey Layla, can I ask you something?" She nodded. "In private?" Dean continues before she nods once again with a smile. Dean smiles back at her before getting up and excusing himself from the table, with Layla leading them towards the restaurant's bar that was out of ear shot.

I return my gaze back to my dinner buddies just in time to see Casey roll her eyes as she returns to her menu. I instantly smirked at the notion as an idea popped into my head. _She couldn't be….._

"Is the Princess a little jealous?" I teased Casey causing Sam to laugh. I was ready to hear the instant denial that she always responds with whenever I see her showing any signs of jealousy that it's hilarious for me to see her fluster, but that's not what I get. Casey is sporting her own smile as she too is joining in on the laughing fit that Sam is currently in. I quirk at eyebrow at her, wondering why she's laughing, and after a few moments she calms down enough to see that I'm basically asking her to explain.

"No…." She takes a few breaths to calm down before she continued. "I just forgot how fast Dean can switch into flirtation mode." She easily explains but then again it did make sense. What didn't make sense was the fact that she was so okay with it while she seemed irritated when all of Dean's attention was on Layla just moments ago.

"Yeah it does seem pretty fast but then again he is a guy." I voiced as I pretended to think it over, causing a chuckle from Sam and an eye roll from Casey.

"A guy with no restraints when it comes to that primal need of his. I swear, he is such a hypocrite." Casey explains so easily as if it's an everyday topic with her but my eyes widen when her words had sunk into my brain. If I was drinking something, I was sure that I would have done a spit-take moment.

I continued to stare at Casey while she shrugged her leather jacket off, hanging it over her chair as she talked to Sam about how normal it is for Dean to act that way. It was weird though because all I saw was that her demeanor was all natural and laid-back that if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't have noticed that Casey was talking so freely about another guy's sex life. The thought shocked me that she was so nonchalant about bringing that up as well as knowing about it in the first place. Casey has always been a prude when it came to that subject of discussion that she'd even cut me off before I even said anything on the subject. The only time I probably heard her talking about the subject so freely like she was right now was probably in health class.

"So you think he's a hypocrite?" I finally asked causing both Sam and Casey to stop and stare wide-eyed at me and I didn't get why until I heard a voice from behind me say "Who's a hypocrite?" _Dean_. I turn around slightly and saw that Dean was looking down at me amused and waiting for my answer. I looked to Casey and saw that she was actually worried about what I'd say which caused me to smirk.

"The Princess herself thinks that you're a hypocrite Dean and frankly I don't know why." I innocently stated as Dean softly chuckled as I looked to a fuming Casey.

"She does, does she?" Dean states with amusement lining his voice before he looks towards my stepsister. "What am I a hypocrite about this time Case?" He was standing with his arms crossed waiting as Casey was staring daggers at me. Sam was chuckling to himself until it hit me: Dean knows that Casey has called him a hypocrite before. _Interesting._

"Wait, you know that she calls you that?" I couldn't help but ask causing him to laugh a little as he returned to his chair beside Casey, who had her arms crossed now and still glaring at me. Dean took his leather jacket off and hung it over his chair, took his seat as he pushed up the sleeves to his blue unbuttoned button-up shirt.

"Yeah but what is it about this time?" Dean looked to Casey who refused to look at him because she was glaring at me. Dean was completely turned in his seat so that he was looking at Casey, with his right arm on the table and his left on her chair's back. With no response from Casey, he then looked to Sam and they seemed to have one of those weird looks that make you wonder if they have a telepathic power and that they are secretly having a conversation between each other.

"Is this about the dating thing again?" Dean looked back to the fuming girl who didn't say anything as her reply but she shifted causing both brothers to smile victorious smiles to one another. "I guess that's a yes, what'd you think Sammy?" Dean looked to his brother who nodded his agreement after rolling his eyes because of the childhood nickname being used once again.

"C'mon Casey, say something or I will start blabbing about the situation and you _never _know what I might say. I may let some very important things slip if you don't say something in….." Dean playfully threatened Casey as he looked to his watch. Casey's eyes widened when Dean started counting down from five. She quickly turned to him and I could see the pleading in her eyes that made me wonder what was so important that she wouldn't want me or anyone to know. It did bother me however that Dean (and possibly Sam) did know whatever it was that Dean was talking about.

"You wouldn't." Casey countered but I could tell by her voice that she wasn't completely confident in that statement.

"I would if you really want to discuss _that_ reason for why I'm a hypocrite, now of all places." Dean reasoned as Casey shook her head no. Dean sighed with relief. "Good and I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you regretting anything like Sam and I have in the past. You understand, right?" Casey looked between the brothers to see Sam giving a shy smile while Dean was looking a little worried that Casey wasn't getting the message. I couldn't get the idea out of my head that Dean actually cares for Casey since it was the second time I've seen him looking out for her and he didn't care who saw him do it. What puzzled me was what he didn't want Casey to experience that both he and his brother have regrets over.

She sighs before she uncrosses her arms and places her fidgeting hands on top of her menu. "Yeah but we're still talking about it later, right?" I could barely hear her but I wasn't seeing the confident demeanor that I had seen so much from her tonight, she actually looked a little vulnerable, as if she was worried that she wouldn't get the answer she wanted.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Dean jokingly stated as he smirked while nudging Casey before looking to Sam. Sam was chuckling at his brother's antics but they both seemed happy to have the small smile grow on Casey's face. I had to resist the urge to smile myself.

"Not really no. She's not gonna let you off the hook that easily. Plus I'm pretty sure she's going to spoil your fun until you give in." Sam reasoned with a chuckle as Casey's smile grew wider at the thought of possibly dampering the older man's fun. Dean groaned and I guess the idea sunk through after seeing the mischievous glint in Casey's eyes. _Oh boy, poor Dean. _

"Then I'm gonna need a lot of alcohol in my system before you go all sentimental on me." Dean gave Casey a pointed glare before ending it off with a smirk causing Sam to scoff while Casey tilted her head as she looked to Dean.

"You never needed it before." I quirked an eyebrow as I watched the trio since I couldn't imagine Casey actually getting Dean to listen to one of her 'feeling' talks. She tried multiple of times to get me to listen and usually it's an in-one-ear-out-the-other type of scenario and for the majority of the guys she's been with, she generally has to repeat herself.

"Before you were just a little girl, now you're a complicated teenage girl who will talk a lot about her emotions." Dean complained as he turned in his seat to be facing forward as he appeared to skim through the menu once again.

"I don't talk about my emotions that much." Casey denied causing me to scoff. _Did she seriously just say that?_ For as long as I have known Casey, she hasn't kept her emotions to herself. Whether she tries to hide it or not, it's still broadcast to the world what she's feeling.

"Oh please, you practically announce it to the family whenever your mood changes. When you're happy, we know about it. When you're sad, we know about it. When you're in break up mode, cue the tears. When you're with a new guy, cue the giddy attitude adjustment and you drown me with all your sappy happiness. Your moods are like a friggin' roller coaster ride."

When I had stopped my uncontrollable ranting about Casey's drama queen ways, Casey was sporting an amusing smile while the brothers' smile held that curious look as they looked my way. I couldn't help but feel like I said too much and now the guys knew more than they were supposed to, in fact, I think they knew more than I knew at that moment because their curious stares were creeping me out. The creepy feeling was pushed to the back of my mind when Casey started smirking at me, like I usually did to her during our fights.

"You forgot when I'm angry, you instantly know about it." She smugly stated as she leaned forward with her crossed arms on the table. I laughed since I couldn't believe that I forgot that all too familiar emotion of hers.

"Well, that's because it's usually directed at me." I smirked right back at her while I stared her down. She quirked an eyebrow in a way that I knew she meant 'duh!' I was too wrapped up in my little stare off with Casey to take notice in the amused glances that we both were getting from the brothers. Maybe I was too wrapped up in it because I was finally getting some attention from my stepsister but that means nothing right? I just don't like being ignored on the sidelines. _Wait, why do I want Casey's attention now?_

"Because it's usually your fault when I'm angry." She countered back but from the tone of her voice she wasn't angry with that fact, she almost seemed…amused. Is that even possible from her?

I chuckled a little before tilting my head to the side a bit. "Majority of the time, yes but not always." I don't know why but I felt something weird when I said that. It wasn't a lie, that was for certain but I wasn't sure if I was happy or not with that statement. Was it a good or bad thing that I'm not the only one causing her to get angry? I remember in the beginning, it was practically my goal to torment her and get her angry just to have her fight back but with the whole Smelly Nellie's gig and the Truman fiasco, I didn't want anyone getting her angry or upset unless it came from me…why's that?

"True." For some unknown reason, Casey was smiling at me when she said that. Was she happy at that fact? Once again, Casey was making no sense to me and she wasn't following her usual patterns that I'm so use to. When will it all go back to normal?

I had to push the Casey confusion to the back of my mind when Dean interrupted asking Casey why she took her jacket off. She said she was getting overheated which Dean didn't like. I guess it had to do with the little promise at the house when her outfit was being questioned again. I really didn't see the problem since we were at a restaurant, soon to be with family; it's not like a guy was going to walk up and do something. _I know I wouldn't, I don't disturb family dinners to get to a girl. Awkward much? _

Sam interrupted my thoughts by saying "I think we have company." It was then that I noticed that the three people in front of me were straightened and aligned in their seats as they all stared to a view behind me. _Great, I forgot that they had the view of practically the whole restaurant. Well, now it's time to see what everyone else thinks about Sam and Dean Winchester._

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A/N #4: **So what do you guys think? I figured the best spot to split the chapter up would be right before the rest of the McDonald-Venturi clan joined them at the restaurant. How was Derek? How was Casey? How were the reactions? Let me know!

**A/N #5: Part 2 **will hopefully be posted by the weekend but please, don't let that stop you from reviewing! So I hope you enjoyed **part 1** and don't forget to **leave a review** before you go! **(reviewers get a snippet of part 2 in the replies I give out)**

**A/N #6: **Again **I thank all my reviewers** since you guys are awesome but I wanted to give a shout out to **"juliee. cue"**, **"Dreamin. of****. Scotland"** and **"princessangel396"** for their long reviews for every one of my chapters of this story and for my outtakes companion. Thanks so much for taking the time to give me your thoughts and such about the story. I love it and I love you guys! **=D  
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Originally Published: **August 31, 2010

**Edited: **September 10, 2010_  
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	7. Ch 6: My Stepsister Did What?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 6: ****My Stepsister Did What?**

**A/N #1: **I just want to say thank you so much to those that read and reviewed the last chapter (and an overall thank you in general for following this story, it really means a lot).** Thank you so much you guys. I love your reviews! You guys are the best! **So originally this chapter and the previous one were going to be posted altogether as one but it ended up being over 20,000+ words so I decided against it. So enjoy **part 2** of the restaurant scene!**  
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**A/N #2: **I'm super excited that there is less than a month until the season 6 premiere for _Supernatural_! Who else is excited? I know I am! I saw some promo pictures of the episode with Grandpa Sammy as well as domesticated looking Dean (him having his pants tucked in is unnatural, I'm sorry! It just isn't Dean!)

**A/N #3: **Woah, guys! I just read on Wikipedia (for LWD) that there were **TWO** spin-offs after the series finale. Does that mean we get "Vacation with Derek" **and** another movie? I sure hope so! I love Casey & Derek! (Thank you Ashley & Michael!)

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Crushin' on the Coach", "The Bet", "Prank Wars", "How I Met Your Stepbro", "Not So Sweet 16", "Truman's Last Chance", "Sixteen Sparkplugs", "Dinner Guest", "House of Games" and "Lies My Brother Told Me"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **hints of "Hell House", "Phantom Traveler", "Dark Side of the Moon", "Devil's Trap" and "What Is and What Should Never Be"

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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Derek's POV:**

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

Sam interrupted my thoughts by saying "I think we have company." It was then that I noticed that the three people in front of me were straightened and aligned in their seats as they all stared to a view behind me. _Great, I forgot that they had the view of practically the whole restaurant. Well, now it's time to see what everyone else thinks about Sam and Dean Winchester._

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I could see the guys sporting smiles while Casey was waving. Once I slowly turned to see who it was they were looking at and before I was fully turned around, I got my answer as "Smerek!" was called out to me before a pair of small arms wrapped around my neck. _Marti_.

I looked down at the little girl squeezing my neck and I gave a small laugh at my little sister's antics. I looked up to see that the rest of the family was just rounding the corner with the hostess, Kelly. _I guess Marti ran ahead when she saw Casey waving. _

"Smarti, looks like you finally made it." I greeted my little sister as she pulled away to look at me with her smile turning into a pout.

"Traffic was terrible." She complained and I couldn't help but smile. _I guess that's the reason for the pout. _

"So I heard, now we can finally eat." I joked as I tickled Marti a little before pulling the seat on my left out for her to take. She was still giggling a little when she took her seat.

"Always thinking about your stomach." I turned my head to look at a smirking Casey and I couldn't help but quirk up an eyebrow. _Has she forgotten that I'm always hungry?_ I heard a laugh coming from Dean and Sam and that's when I noticed that Lizzie was hugging Sam and talking in whispers that I couldn't hear over the restaurant noise.

"What guy doesn't?" I simply stated as I got an eye roll from my stepsister and a small laugh again from Dean. _I guess he agrees with me. _

"Well I hope that is everyone for the evening." Kelly, the hostess, greeted as Dad, Nora and Edwin finally made it to the table. I notice that Dad was looking at the brothers with confusion, Nora with happiness again like at the parking lot and well, Edwin was ogling over Kelly like I kind of was earlier. I kind of gave up on Kelly since she was only giving her attention to Dean.

"It is, thank you Kelly." Dean stated as he smiled sweetly at the redhead and I think she would have swooned at that if she were alone with the guy. _Got to hand it to him, the guy's good. _

I felt a tugging on my arm and I turned to see that Marti was giving me a questioning look as she quickly took a glance at the Winchesters, as she silently asked me who the strangers were. It was funny seeing Marti so quiet but I didn't like that she felt shy. I leaned into Marti to whisper _"It's alright Smarti, apparently they're Spacey's friends." _She just nodded as she kept an eye on the two older men. I could only guess that she was trying to see if they were good or not, kind of like how she did with Scott and Trevor. I got to hand it to the kid, she has a great judge of character. _I wonder what she'll think about these two…I'm still sketchy about them. _

By the time I looked up to see the rest of the table, I saw Dean wink at the hostess as she tried to stifle a giggle and I just wanted to roll my eyes. _Does everything he do cause the ladies to swoon over him? _I was annoyed at that thought but then another one occurred to me…..Casey hasn't 'swooned' over Dean like the others but she has been acting differently around him. _What does that mean?_ I think my head was starting to hurt with all the questions that keep popping up due to Casey's weirdness.

I looked between the two in question as Casey watched Dean interact with Kelly. I wasn't really paying attention to what his lines were but I kept looking at Casey in thought; was Casey changing once again for a guy like she did with all her other boyfriends? I swear, every time she did, it was very annoying since she wasn't really herself and she wasn't that predictable like I'm use to. It was also aggravating to have her all giddy over her new boy toy. _But she's not showing signs of being giddy now. _

I wondered how she was during that freshman frenzy of hers that Sam mentioned. From the way Dean reacted, I'm guessing he didn't like it, which makes me wonder, how bad it was exactly. I still don't get why Dean gives off this protective vibe but I still can't picture Casey being a serial dater. I could see that in Dean since it's obvious he is a fellow player like me but come on, Casey the keening grade-grubbing klutz having guys lined up to date her? I don't think so. Who would date a girl like her? I'll give that she is attractive (which I'll never admit out loud to anyone) but once she starts to talk, that alone could drive a date away. Like seriously, that's how my first impression of her was shattered when we met four months before the wedding.

I was lost in my thoughts for what seemed like awhile but it turned out to be only a few moments since I snapped out of it in time to see a smiling Kelly wishing the table a good night before winking at Dean, who gave her another appreciative smile right back. Thankfully Marti was obliviously to Dean's antics and it seemed like Dad was oblivious too as he was still staring at the brothers with curiosity in his eyes.

It seemed like Edwin was the only one out of the newcomers to notice Dean's interaction with Kelly when my little brother asked the older man "You know the hostess?" Edwin asked curiously as he titled his head to the side as he faced Dean. This question brought everyone's attention to Edwin and Dean as he now was just smirking.

"Not really but then again, I do leave a great first impression." Dean explained with a soft chuckle at the ending causing Casey and Sam to both roll their eyes while Edwin seemed to nod his head in awe. I'd have to talk to the boy later; he wasn't supposed to emulate the guy already. He wasn't supposed to emulate him at all! _Traitor. _

"Why is it that I get the feeling you haven't changed much Dean?" Lizzie voiced as she was still by Sam's side as his arm was still around her waist as if they just finished hugging while one of her arms was resting on his shoulder as she faced the older brother of the two. _I guess she feels comfortable around Sam to greet him with a tight hug,_

"And why do I get the feeling that you're too smart for your age." Dean joked right back at my younger stepsister who was smiling as he grinned.

"It's a gift." Lizzie countered back playfully. Dean laughs as he leans back in his seat. I see both Casey and Sam smiling as they watch. I was kind of surprised that Lizzie herself was greeting the two the way she was. Lizzie usually isn't the shy one when it came to people her own age but I figured that would be different if she met these guys who were older than me and Casey. _Guess I was wrong. _

"Sure is, now get over here and give me a hug and grab a seat beside me. I gotta have my one-on-one with the soccer star." Dean playfully demanded as he gestured for Lizzie to come his way. Casey nudged him a little causing him to laugh until Lizzie gave the older man a huge hug and he didn't hesitate to return the gesture. _That's one thing that differs between us; I don't do hugs, except with Smarti. _

"You're as charismatic as ever Dean." Lizzie complimented him as she pulled out of the hug to take her seat to Dean's right. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Nora was giving Sam a quick hug with whispered greetings that I wasn't paying attention to as I moved back to concentrate on Lizzie and Dean. I could sense that Edwin was standing behind me watching in silence with Dad just off to the side as he was closer to Nora.

"And you're growing up more beautiful each time I see you. Just like Casey and your mother." Dean recited the compliment perfectly as he looked to each of the girls involved when he said their name. I saw slight blushes from Lizzie, Casey and Nora as she turned her attention from Sam to his older brother. I could feel Edwin lean forward and whisper _"He's good"_ but I only gave him a nod as my response. _Dean was definitely good, there was no point denying that._

"Oh, Dean stop it. You're a charmer just like your father." Nora stated with a little giggle and a glazed-over look that caused Dean to smile proudly at the comment. With Nora's glazed look, I could only assume that she was caught up in a memory, maybe of one of Sam and Dean's father. I was actually caught off guard with the possibility that Nora knows their dad but I was curious to see what connection that left between them. Old Friend? Ex-boyfriend? Coworker? Relative? I was kidding myself with the last option but still, it was an option that can't be overlooked. _But if that's an option, wouldn't she have mentioned them and wouldn't we have met them at Fiona's wedding?_

"Ugh Nora?" I could hear the confusion coming from my dad as he was waiting for Nora.

"Yes Georgie?" My stepmom looked to my dad innocently before I could see the light bulb go off in her mind (Dad's confused face must have done the trick). "Oh right, boys…" Nora paused to look between the brothers before she continued. "I think introductions are in order so I'd like to introduce my husband, George Venturi." She finished as she looped one of her arms around Dad as she tugged him closer to the table.

Sam immediately stood from his seat, to his full height, and shook my father's hand as he greeted him with "It's very nice to meet you Mr. Venturi." I could see the shock on Dad's face for the manners and I could hear the twin gasps from Marti and Edwin which was probably due to the fact that Sam was practically towering over Dad. I wasn't surprised since I'm taller than my dad and I had to crane my own neck to look at Sam's face when I was standing beside him earlier but it was funny hearing those gasps from my younger siblings.

"Please, call me George." Dad got over his initial shock as he remained calm and polite. Sam just nodded before he released his grip yet he remained standing.

"Well George, we've heard many great things about you from Casey." Dean's voiced whipped all our attentions across the table and it was then I noticed that he had gotten up and was heading towards Dad while passing Marti, Edwin and I. I had to turn in my seat just to get a good view of Dad's reaction.

"Really?" Dad asked surprisingly and I couldn't really blame him. Here we've heard nothing about these two and yet they know stuff about us. I quickly looked to Casey who was smiling and I knew it was her doing.

"Of course." Dean stopped right in front of Dad as he held his own hand up, ready for a shake. Dad looked up slightly before conducting the hand shake as Dean made his own introduction. "I'm Dean Winchester and the giant is my younger brother Sam." Dean finished with a smirk and I think I heard a scoff from Sam and a giggle from Marti. _Probably from the giant comment. _For a moment I thought I saw Dean's smirk widen into a grin when Marti giggled. I quietly asked my giggling sister why she was giggling and I only got out the fact that Dean introduced his brother as a giant and she thought it was funny. _Sometimes, Marti could be as weird as Edwin (unfortunately)._

"Well, it's very nice to meet you boys." Dad replied back before releasing his grip from Dean. "Looks like you've already met my eldest Derek." Dad gestured towards me and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. _At least I'm first. _

"Yes and this must be Edwin and Marti." Sam's comment caused both of my siblings to snap their attentions to the taller man who was smiling. I completely turned around to see a gaping Edwin and then I turned the other way to see Marti giving him a timid wave.

"How'd you-" Edwin finally managed to get out but Dean cut him off with a pat on Ed's back.

"Like I said, we've heard many things from Casey plus your prank earlier kind of gave you away. So what'd you get from the principal?" Dean's curiosity and amusement were present in his voice as he asked the question that had slipped my mind earlier. I noticed that Edwin's eyes had widened when Dean mentioned seeing his prank but then he had the Venturi smirk plastered on his face as he told us his punishment.

"I've been suspended before I even start high school." Edwin's smile was beaming causing myself to smile. _I guess Edwin will carry the Venturi pranking throughout his years at SJST. _Dean patted him on the back in approval while he gave a soft chuckle. Then, he subtly led him to the next seat beside Marti. I gave Edwin a high five as he passed and gave him my approval. If I didn't know any better, I'd think his smile widened.

"Can he even do that even though you are technically not enrolled at the high school yet?" Sam questioned as he looked between Edwin and my dad. Edwin was seated in his chair at his point and sporting that cliché thinking pose before he looked to Dad.

"Good point. Dad?" My little brother looked to our father to see if that was true. Sam did have a good point. If Mr. Lassiter can't official punish Edwin for the prank then it doesn't go on his record which I guess would be a good thing in the long run. I know Casey would prefer that scenario than to have it on his permanent record. Dad seemed to be thinking it over too as if the idea never crossed his mind.

"I'll look into it but that doesn't mean you get off the hook for pulling the prank. You're grounded." Dad finished off as he gave Edwin a look while I noticed Sam pull out the chair between us for Nora to take a seat. I heard her say her thanks before Sam took his seat once again. I looked around the table and saw that Dean too was back in his seat, whispering to Lizzie about something while Casey did the same with Sam.

"Oh, c'mon Dad, Derek pulled a prank too." Edwin complained as he tried to put the blame on me again causing me to send him a glare which did cause him to flinch. _Success._ I could feel Dad move behind my chair as he stood behind both my chair and Marti's as he looked between his sons. Marti seemed to be focused on her kiddie menu while taking quick glances towards the Winchesters.

"Yeah but everyone was expecting it from me." I countered against my brother with a very good reason. Everyone expected the prank from me; my friends, Dad, Casey, Mr. Lassiter….everyone. I couldn't disappoint them, now could I?

"Even though I don't like it when you boys pull pranks, I am grateful that you waited until _after_ Casey was done her speech, which was amazing by the way Honey." Nora told the first part directed at me and Edwin before turning her praise to her daughter. I rolled my eyes but I felt Dad pat my back before thanking me for waiting with the prank. I just shrugged it off as if it were no big deal, which it wasn't, before Dad moved to his seat between Edwin and Lizzie.

"Again thank you." Casey thanked Nora as she smiled while getting a nudge from Dean in the shoulder.

"So, you guys were at the ceremony? Lizzie questioned the older brothers while everyone else was skimming their menus.

We've been here a couple of times so it wouldn't take long for them to location their order in the menu. Marti was now half way done the kiddie menu activities and had half her attention on the conversation. I could tell because of her behavior; slow crayon movements, quick glances to the speakers, slight pauses. She's just as curious as I was (and probably Edwin too) to figure out the tie between our stepsiblings and the Winchesters.

"Wouldn't have missed it. Didn't Nora tell anyone?" Dean proudly answered before leaving it off with everyone looking to my stepmom for an answer.

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise." Nora innocently stated with a smile.

"Well it's the best surprise ever." Casey beamed once again and I couldn't help but think that she really must lo-like these guys to react like this. I mentally shook the thought of using the l-word away.

"I thought you hated surprises?" Edwin questioned as he placed his menu down and the boy did have a point. Casey has expressed many times that she hates surprises yet she loves this one? She hated the surprise party I threw for her sixteenth birthday, granted I changed her original plan to fit with mine but still, a party is a party. She started grinning at Edwin before she replied.

"Well this surprise is an exception to that." She looked between the brothers smiling and getting smiles back. The weird feeling in the pit of my stomach was back again but instead of figuring out what it meant, I just blamed it on the fact that I was hungry.

"I hope everyone is ready to order because Layla is heading this way." Dean stated with a smile as his gaze was somewhere past Edwin's head. I couldn't help but wonder if the hot blonde knew that I was hungry and she just chose that moment to show up. Probably not but still, a guy could dream about a girl knowing him that well.

"Layla?" Edwin turned to me with a questioning look and I had to stop myself from laughing.

"Our waitress." I simply stated as I smirked causing Edwin to nod his head in understanding while he muttered an '_ooh!'_ It was only a few seconds later that Layla returned with our drink orders. She had reintroduced herself to the rest of the family before asking if we were ready to order. Luckily everyone was ready to order so Layla took the new drink orders as well as all of our food orders before leaving to place our order.

If I hadn't seen Dean in action earlier with Layla, I never would have guessed that he was flirting with her now with the little amount of time he had her attention for (she had to take all our orders, remember). I could still see the small blush form on her face as Dean kept on smiling at her. For that much effect for a little interaction was definitely impressive, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I guess he was taking Casey's kid-friendly warning to heart and I was glad for that. Don't want Marti to be exposed to the world of dating yet, now do I? That's a no. It seemed like only Sam, Casey and possibly Edwin had any idea of Dean's antics but they never questioned it. Edwin did look towards me with a questioning quirk of his eyebrow causing me to smirk and shrug at my brother.

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It wasn't long after Layla's departure that Nora started the questioning of our guests. I thought it was too general of a question but I guess she wanted to ease everyone into it since from the looks of everyone, they were hesitant. I just wanted to ask all the questions that have formed in my head since I met the guys in the parking lot at school. I could sense that Edwin too was itching for some answers as he goes into super sleuth mode like when he interviewed Truman and Marvin for Casey and Lizzie a few weeks back. Weird thing to do but he just defends himself by saying it's his way of doing his 'stepbrotherly duties'. Dad was just interested in learning anything about these guys and gauging whether they're safe or not and I think Marti was trying to figure out if they were friend or foe too.

Apparently the Winchesters had a long drive up here and they only arrived yesterday evening. They seemed to come from Atlanta, Georgia, straight from a business meeting before coming here to start their vacation. When Edwin asked what type of business meeting, Sam just said they couldn't talk about it without confirming it with their boss so no one else pushed. I wanted to ask because of the stuff I heard back at the house but since Edwin had a thing for business situations, he backed down out of respect, I guess so I unfortunately had to too.

Out of the blue I ended up asking why they couldn't just fly up here but Dean instantly said that it wasn't an option, in a tone that seemed nonnegotiable. Sam seemed to be smirking while Casey was just shaking her head comically causing Edwin to ask why. All Dean said was '_my car'_. I found myself immediately looking to Sam for a translation and he just stated that Dean doesn't like leaving his beloved car behind anywhere. I nodded in understanding as my dad asked the 'what type' question, getting Dean into a basic run down of his black 1967 Chevy Impala that has been in his family since 1973. I whistled at the number because that car appeared to be in excellent condition for being around for almost forty years; seemed like my dad and Edwin had the same idea as me yet they haven't seen the car in person yet. It was then that my father and brother learned that Casey knew that the Impala was a classic car and according to Sam, she loved it just as much as Dean himself did. That shocked Dad and Edwin and I still couldn't believe that fact because that would mean that Casey knew something about cars which I know she doesn't since she had to come to me for help when the family needed a new car on my sixteenth birthday. _She's just going off of Dean's obsession over the car. _I thought quickly pushing the crazy thought of Casey knowing about cars out of the way.

Layla then came back with the rest of the family's drinks, just before Dad started asking more car questions to Dean and I think he would have gone on and on about his car just like how Dad goes on and on about his old rock band. Marti instantly grabbed her chocolate milk once it hit the table causing me to laugh a little while I took a sip of my drink. Layla gave another warning about the restaurant's delay but she assured us it wouldn't be that long before our food was ready. Dean was the one who once again thanked our waitress with his swooning smile that I was getting sick of.

Once the blushing Layla was gone, Edwin finally asked the all important question to the Winchester brothers: how long have you known Casey? I was puzzled as to why he didn't include Lizzie in that too but I didn't say anything, hoping that they would cover that too.

"Since the day she was born." Dean replied with a proud smile as he looked to Casey who was beaming. Dean looked back at the rest of us with a smirk now on his face but I could clearly see the glint of mischief in his eyes like I had seen in the parking lot earlier at the school. "In fact, I was the third person to hold her, if you don't count medial professionals of course." I think my eyes widened at the idea of Dean knowing Casey from that moment in her life until now. I looked to Sam and saw that he had a soft smile as he looked to Casey who had a slight blush.

"Really?" Marti was beaming with excitement at the prospect of holding a little baby. Dean chuckled and I could see that my little sister had that spark of interest in her eye.

"Yeah, I'll never forget that day." Dean paused with this glazed look in his eye as he gave a genuine smile before snapping out of it and looking to Casey, then Sam then around to the rest of us. "Sure I was only six at the time but I knew what a precious thing it was to hold this beautiful girl in my arms…." Dean landed his gaze on a smiling Casey before he continued "…..a girl that resembled so much like her mother in that moment." Dean looked between Casey and Nora and I followed his gaze to see that both of them looked like they were about to cry over the memory. My eyes widened and I instantly wanted to kick Dean's butt for bringing tears into this. I don't do tears!

"Really?" Casey questioned Dean with what sounded like a hopeful tone before looking to her mother. Both Nora and Dean nodded a yes to Casey causing her smile to widen. Come to think of it, there were only a few resemblances between Casey and Nora that never caught my attention before. Maybe that's why she was hopeful, because she could be growing up to a point where she won't resemble her mom at all. _Girls are weird to worry about stuff like that. _

"Was it like that when I was born Daddy?" Marti piped up from beside me as she looked to our father for an answer. I laughed to myself as Dad looked like he was a deer caught in headlights before he softened his look with a smile directed at Marti.

"Of course Pumpkin, you were the smallest bundle of joy I've ever seen; my little angel." Dad finished but he laughed a little when he saw that Marti gave him a satisfied look that said '_nicely put_'. I took a glance at Nora and saw that she too was beaming off of my dad's words to Marti as if she was falling for him all over again. I rolled my eyes at the crazy thought. I too couldn't help but smile too as I remember when I held Marti for the first time. Sure, I held Edwin when he was a baby but I was nine when my baby sister arrived and I couldn't help but think that Dean's words were a perfect description for when I held Marti. _Wait a minute. Does that mean Dean views Casey as a sister?_ I didn't know where that thought came from but I knew it couldn't be true since Casey didn't have blood brothers. But then again, he's known her since the beginning and he was overly protective of her back at the house. _They can't be related. _No matter how much logic I had against the idea at that moment, my body felt victorious over the thought. _Now why is that?_

I looked across the table for a moment to see a concerned Casey looking over at a hurt Dean. I don't think anyone else noticed but once she nudged him the hurt was gone and an emotionless mask was put on his face. She tilted her head to the side but she only got a shake of his head telling her to practically drop the subject. She sighed.

"What about Sam?" Edwin piped up once again as he looked mainly at Dean, waiting for his response while simultaneously ending the silent battle between Casey and Dean.

Dean smirked. "Oh, I held him too but since I was younger, I needed some parental help but-" Edwin chuckled before cutting Dean off causing Dean to give him a confused look. Edwin stopped and gave a nervous laugh before explaining what he meant. _Looks like someone doesn't like Dean's glare._

"No, I meant when you met Casey, where was Sam?" Edwin hurried to finish. Dean looked to Sam with an evil grin on his face before turning back to face us.

"Oh, he was in the room whining." Dean said nonchalantly as if it's the obvious answer in the room. Casey was smiling but from where I was seated, she wanted to laugh.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I wasn't whining."

Dean looked to his brother with an 'are you kidding' look before rebutting back. "You were two years old, of course you were whining." Dean glanced around the table to continue on with his trip down memory lane. "He wanted to hold Casey but the parentals didn't think it'd be best."

Casey was smirking at this point as she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. "Not even a day old and you both were already fighting over me." Both brothers laughed and it looked like Sam was nodding his head in agreement. _Who would want to fight over Casey?_

Dean's laugh died down a bit before he was able to speak. "Fighting over you, fighting with you, fighting against you; all and all, I missed fighting with you in general, Case." Casey smiled before hitting Dean in the shoulder playfully causing him to laugh again.

Sam was smiling before Casey turned to look at him. "I on the other hand, missed you in general Casey." Casey smiled at that but it seemed like the taller man's words caused his brother's laughter to stop. I quirked my eyebrow at Dean's new demeanor.

"Suck up." Dean accused his younger brother with a playful scowl while Sam had a victorious grin as if they were competing on who missed Casey more. The thought just confused me more since I didn't know why they'd be competing for something like that.

"Not my fault you don't like saying it." Sam quipped causing Dean to give an eye roll. I couldn't take it anymore. The rest of the family was entertained by the dynamic the Winchester brothers showcased which still perplexed me since the family didn't like it when I fought with Casey but then again, we somehow always got them involved at times. Either way, no one was asking the question that I've been dying to hear the answer to since I met them.

"So, you've known Casey since the day she was born but how do you know her? You guys are older which was confirmed by your 'how you met' story. So how?" I rambled off my question and I didn't realize that I provided proof of the statement until after it left my mouth. Well it was true since I had verbal confirmation that Dean is six years older than Casey while Sam was two years older than her.

"Again with that question Derek." Casey asked from across the table with her eyebrow quirked up in a way that told me she knew I was up to something as she leaned forward in her seat again. Fortunately for me, I wasn't planning anything but finding out about the truth on these two.

"Well, I didn't get an answer before." I countered back as she huffed. Dean seemed to have let out a few nervous chuckles before answering my question as he started to rub the back of his neck. I couldn't help but wonder why the topic made him nervous. He gave off this look that appeared like he wasn't sure what to say of the situation. He even took subtle glances towards Nora, Casey and Sam before looking back to us. It was too fast for the others to notice but luckily I did and unfortunately for me, it just raised more questions. For some reason the phrase, _keep your friends close and your enemies closer_, kept running through my head. _Since when do I view the Winchesters, Dean especially, as my enemy?_ My head was hurting with all the unwanted questions forming in my brain.

"Ugh, actually it was through our parents." Dean finally revealed and I remained silent; so did everyone else. I knew on some level, with the stuff they were telling us, that they might have met like that but on some level, I didn't want it to be true. _Why do I care? Is there something special about today besides graduation that's causing me to actually consider my emotions?_

"Yeah, our Dad and Nora kind of grew up together and he's the one that actually introduced Nora to Dennis when they were younger." Sam continued off ending it with a glance to my Dad when he mentioned Nora's ex-husband. Sam smiled and I think it might have been from the fact that Dad didn't flinch at the mention of Dennis. I wouldn't get why he would since those two seemed to be getting along when Dennis came to visit during our first year after the wedding. It still baffles me how a cool guy like Dennis could be Casey's father.

"So with that connection, we met Casey and grew up together until we had to move. After that she'd either visit us during her breaks or we'd see her during ours." Dean continued right where his brother left off which was kind of freaky but it didn't seem to faze Casey or the brothers. The rest of us remained quiet as Sam finished off.

"Of course visits became strained after the divorce but we still kept in contact." I could hear some sadness when he mentioned the lack of visits afterwards but I guess it was reasonable. If the guys' dad is the one to introduce the divorced couple then I guess any reminder would be tough to handle.

"What's this about not seeing each other for the past four years and to be honest-" Casey interrupted me with a scoff and I kind of figured that she would.

"Well that would be a first." I glared at my stepsister before continuing. _You'd think she'd give me a break for the day, but it doesn't look like it. _

"As I was saying, to be honest, I've never heard of you guys before." I innocently stated which got the rest of my family nodding along with me. I could see that Nora's expression had softened while Lizzie kept looking at me as if she was searching for something. _She's been spending too much time with my weirdo of a brother. _Even with Lizzie's stares I could see them soften once I mentioned the lack of talk about the Winchesters in the past.

Sam sighed. "We started working full time for our father and since he's a workaholic, he kind of worked us to the bone. You know how heavy the workload is for a private family business." I wanted to be a pain and say that I didn't but the glare Dean was sending towards his brother stopped me. Before Dean could rip Sam apart (from the looks of it), Casey spoke.

"I never mentioned them before because it hurt too much and I'd miss them even more." Casey had a sad smile on her face and for some odd reason, I wish I never asked the question in the first place. _You don't care remember! _My mind kept shouting at me but it still didn't get the feeling to go away. _Graduation has you screwed in the head with all the emotional graduates you were surrounded around in earlier._

Dean sported a cocky smile as he looked to the graduate beside him. "Aww shucks Case, we missed you too."

Casey rolled her eyes as she smirked. "You're ruining it."

Dean laughed. "No, I'm just cutting this chick-flick moment short." I tilted my head in amusement at the moment's name.

"But you started one earlier." Edwin piped up once again and you could hear the confusion in his voice as well as on his face.

Dean turned to face Edwin. "And?" Edwin gulped and I think I heard Marti snicker beside me, or maybe that was just me. Marti was still working on her kiddie menu so I wasn't even sure if she was paying attention to the conversation now. I looked closely at her menu sheet and saw in the corner closest to me, in Marti's hand writing, the words: _they are funny_. I gave my sister a quizzical look but all she did was give me a giant smile.

I missed Edwin's excuse of an explanation but I did catch Sam's words as he gave his brother a knowing look.

"He can express them perfectly, he just doesn't like talking about them." Dean huffed before glaring at Sam. I only assumed it was playful since Casey was smirking.

"It's rude talking like I'm not here Sammy, I thought I taught you better than that." Dean gave a disappointed look to his younger brother followed by the head shake. Sam scoffed and I heard Nora give a soft chuckle under her breath due to the brothers' antics. I looked to Dad and saw that he was only amused. I turned to look at Edwin and I saw confusion and amusement on his face. If I had to guess, I think my face was showing that too. I was only confused about the whole teaching comment. Yeah, I caught that possible slip which by the way, makes no sense to me. _Wouldn't parents teach that sort of thing, not older siblings?_ _I certainly didn't teach Edwin or Marti that. _

"Oh please, you did it earlier and would you rather say it yourself?" Sam quipped back with an eyebrow raised. Dean was contemplating what his brother said before shrugging it off.

"Good point, continue." Sam was about to but Dean stopped him. "On second thought don't, Layla's coming with our food."

My mood perked up at the prospect of my dinner coming and I quickly turned around to see where Dean was staring now. I voiced my relief but I got that look from Nora that says '_manners Derek' _and I just turned back before saying: "What? I'm hungry and it's been a long day."

"I second that. But the celebration has just begun." Casey agreed while grinning at me of all people. I couldn't help but grin right back at her because she was right, the night was just beginning and I still had my visit at the pool hall before heading to Jason's for the party.

"For once, I agree."

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It was a few seconds after I admitted to agreeing with Casey, Layla came to our table with two other waitresses as they each balanced three orders in their arms. It didn't take long for them to pass out our food but in the meantime, I was enjoying the view the three fine waitresses were giving me. I saw Dean do the same thing too but sadly for me, once I got my food, I couldn't wait to dig in. _Give me a break, I haven't eaten since before lunch. _

Before Layla had left I saw Dean whisper something to her before she wished our table a fabulous meal. I instantly took a bite from my burger and couldn't argue with the fact that it was really good. After everyone had a few bites of their own food, Edwin spoke once again.

"So if you've known Casey for so long, then you've known Lizzie that long too, right?" I stopped my eating and saw that everyone else had too since they were waiting for an answer but this time it was Sam to have that hesitant look on his face.

Sam shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Yes and no." I quirked an eyebrow in confusion but Marti did it for me.

"What does that mean?"

"Well Marti, since I was a lot younger than the three of them…" Lizzie started off as she motioned to Casey and the Winchesters. "I was usually off with Mom or Dad but on occasion I got to hang out with them too." There was a pause and Lizzie had that glazed over look that everyone seemed to be having tonight before she responded with a smile. "If I remember correctly, I think Sam's the first one I ever kicked a soccer ball around with." I looked to Sam and saw that he was smiling at my younger stepsister.

"Oh I remember that. You were just a toddler and it was around the time that Dean was obsessed with getting his license." **(A/N: Dean =15, Sam =11, Casey =9, Lizzie =4)** Sam reminisced as he gave Dean that look that asked if he remembered too but I think the mock scowl he was sporting was an indication that he did remember.

"I wasn't obsessed." Dean defended as he continued to eat his dinner.

Sam scoffed. "Are you kidding? You were ecstatic to get your license so that you could drive the Impala." Dean was grinning but it was Casey who snapped her fingers in a way that meant she just thought of something. _So cliché but thankfully, it's a universal sign. _

"Yeah, I remember that. You practically took the car apart and built it back up again just so that you got the mechanics memorized for the test." Casey explained as Dean nodded his head along.

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't leave me alone when I did that." Dean quipped as Casey responded with a shy smile.

"I was curious. It wasn't everyday that you were allowed to rebuild the Impala when it was already running smoothly." Casey shrugged off her explanation with an innocent expression causing Dean to give a low chuckle. My mind was still fumbling over the fact that Casey _wanted_ to see Dean rebuild a car.

"What can I say, you learn by doing." Dean smirked but I had to agree with him and be confused by the situation. I agree with his logic because you experience things and retain them better if you do them instead of just reading about them. I've told Casey that many times but she gave no sign of actually listening to me. I was confused because I don't remember needing to learn extensive car mechanics to get my license and I know for a fact that _if_ that was required then Casey wouldn't have gotten her license. _Then again, I'm second guessing what Casey really knows. _I didn't want to second guess myself but I was learning a lot of contradicting data on Casey today.

"Why'd you have to learn to build a car?" I asked between bites but I got glares from Nora and Casey. I rolled my eyes and swallowed before I finished. "We didn't have to for our driving tests." I took a sip from my drink while I waited making it easier for me to swallow.

"I only did it to prove to my dad that I could take care of the car." Dean took a bite of his own meal. He was about to talk but a directed stare at him, brought on by Casey had him thinking otherwise. He swallowed before he continued. "Once I showed him that, he was more lenient on letting me drive it once I got my license." He took a sip of his coke. "Then when I turned eighteen, that's when he gave me the Impala."

I quirked an eyebrow at Dean. "Eighteen?" I had seen Dad nod along with Dean's tale and I was thankful that Dad didn't do that with me. I couldn't help but feel pleased that I got the Prince on my sixteenth birthday and not have to go through what Dean did to get his car.

Dean shrugged as he took another sip of his coke. "Yeah." Casey stopped eating her food as she looked to Dean then to the rest of us.

"I remember when he got the keys as a present he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder, spun me around and took me out to get some ice cream that was all away across town." Casey laughed at her memory and both Winchesters had huge grins on their faces.

"You guys didn't come back until later that night." Sam added in before taking a sip of his drink.

"You could have joined us Sammy. I still remember that we had loads of fun, right Case?" Dean regarded his brother before nudged my stepsister.

"Fun for who exactly?" Casey quipped.

Dean smirked. "Don't be like that."

"I'm just saying." Casey replied in a smug manner as she took another sip of her drink.

"So why couldn't Sam go?" Lizzie asked as she finished off half of her dinner. With Lizzie's question, it got me thinking that Lizzie wasn't there to celebrate Dean's eighteenth birthday yet Casey was. _Why was that?_

"I had to take over Dean's responsibilities for the day since it was his birthday." Sam explained before putting a forkful of food in his mouth.

"I do the same on yours Sam, fair trade." Dean interjected causing Sam to nod in agreement as he swallowed.

"I know." It was all Sam said before it was quiet for a bit except for the restaurant noises in the background.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I was practically done my dinner so I was able to glance around the table. It looked like everyone else was about half way done their dinner but what caught my eye was that Casey seemed to be shaking. It seemed that Dean noticed too because he seemed to be watching her every move. It wasn't until after she finished her drink that she turned to Dean.

Casey frowned. "What?"

"You're cold aren't you?" Dean said in a tone that says 'you can't hide anything from me' as he continued to stare her down.

"No, what makes you say that?" Casey tried to shrug the issue off as always but Dean held on a smug smirk.

"You're shaking and I'm close enough to see goosebumps forming on your arm. If you're cold, just put your jacket on again." Dean strongly suggested as he took another sip of his drink.

"But then I'll get too hot quickly." Casey was giving off a whining tone causing my own amused smirk to show.

"I told you to change earlier." Dean rebutted without missing a beat.

"Well, I didn't figure that the restaurant would have their air conditioner on full blast." Casey explained with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. I was still amused since I knew for a fact that Casey, the planner, knew that restaurants had air conditioning turned on full blast during this time of the year, reason why I usually wear pants to work (and not just because it was part of the dress code).

Dean rolled his eyes. "You're still as stubborn as ever." Dean shifted in his seat before shredding off his blue button-up shirt, leaving a clear view of his amulet over his black t-shirt. I glanced around and saw that everyone was eyeing Dean curiously except for Casey who was fuming at being called stubborn and Sam who was finishing up his meal.

"And you keep acting like Mr. Know-it-all…." Casey started off with her comeback but she paused when she saw Dean's shirt in his hands being thrust into her direction. Casey was confused. "What's that for?"

Dean smirked. "What'd you think? Just put it on and give it back before we leave. I'm not gonna have you catch a cold while I'm here. It'd put a damper on our fun for the week." He quipped as he dangled his shirt, egging Casey to take it.

Casey bobbed her head in a way that made it seem like she was contemplating what Dean was saying. "I do hate getting sick." Dean laughed.

"Exactly." Casey finally took the shirt from Dean and put it on, unrolling the sleeves so that her arms were covered.

"Thanks Dean." She smiled as he grinned.

"No problem, and now that we're on vacation, we could have some real fun, just like old times." Dean grinned mischievously as he rubbed his hands together. I saw Sam tense and his eyes widen as he snapped his head to glare at his older brother.

"No way Dean. I don't wanna have to constantly watch my back while we're here." Sam protested causing Dean to laugh.

"Oh c'mon Sammy, we haven't done one in years since we've started working." Dean was grinning like crazy with that mischievous glint in his eye.

"Because it's unprofessional and it's distracting. Plus we aren't kids anymore." Sam argued causing Dean to roll his eyes.

"What? Didn't like the nair in your shampoo that one time Sammy?" Dean quipped causing Sam to tense as he glared at Dean. Casey seemed unfazed as she was seated between the two semi-feuding brothers.

"No and they always escalate. We're always trying to one-up each other in our pranks." Sam reasoned while trying to convey his reasons through the stare down. I was thrown off guard when Sam mentioned pranks. _These guys actually pull pranks?_

Casey was now glaring at Dean. "I got blamed for that nair prank if I remember correctly." Dean laughed.

"Good times."

"That revenge prank wasn't, it should have went to you Dean." Casey pushed Dean in the shoulder. I assume it was playful since Dean was still laughing.

"I told you I was sorry for that Casey." Sam got in, causing a small smile to form on Casey's face but Dean was still laughing.

"Not my fault Sam couldn't figure out who pulled which prank on him." Dean defended as his laughter died down.

"I didn't think you guys pulled pranks." I finally got out because I still couldn't believe it. Not only had Sam and Dean pulled pranks in their past and from the sound of it, Dean would still pull them if he could but they had gotten Casey involved in the crossfire as well. _Maybe that's why she fights back with my pranks or reacts the way she does. I do love the way she reacts to my pranks. _I smirked at the thought of one of Casey's freak out reactions.

You could see Dean's amusement rolling off of him as he gave a low chuckle. "How else were we supposed to stay entertained when we're growing up? Our prank wars were the best." He quirked an eyebrow as he grinned and I couldn't help but laugh in agreement. It didn't really register what his last statement was until Edwin brought it up.

"I'm sorry, did you say prank _wars_?" Everyone was curious and confused (except for the Winchesters) on probably the fact that Edwin caught on to that little tidbit. I, on the other hand, was curious but what they deemed as a prank war.

Dean was smirking like crazy. "I sure did Ed." My little brother seemed to have an awed expression on his face while I was still waiting for Dean to say what he considered as a prank war.

"So you pranked each other?" Edwin clarified slowly. Sam sighed as Dean was contemplating the question.

"Yeah and on occasion, Casey participated too." Dean stated nonchalantly but the last bit caused everyone of the family to shout 'what!' while Casey shouted Dean's name in a 'what the hell' type of way. I think if I was drinking something, I would have done a spit take. _I seem to be having a lot of those moments today._

Dean was laughing. "Yeah, when she was younger, she'd either tag team with me or Sammy until she was old enough to fight back on her own." Sam was snickering at this point before he continued from where Dean left off.

"One time, it got to a point that my dad told us if we were to have these wars, we couldn't have them during one of his cases since they would get too distracting." Dean was grinning with that glazed look in his eye as Sam finished off.

"How long would they last?" I found myself asking before I knew it.

"Well, the one he gave that warning was a week or two long." My eyes widened when Dean answered my question.

"Dad was kind of fed up living in a war zone, never being able to put his guard down since we practically booby trapped the house in hopes that we'd get the other one." Sam finished off again with Dean out right laughing again at the memory. _They seriously have to stop with finishing off each other's thoughts and sentences. _

Dean blew out a breath after calming down and taking another sip of his drink. "Usually the prank victims were just Sam and myself but sometimes family got in the way. But, little did he know our last prank of that war was a triple joint effort on our high school." Dean was grinning like crazy and I couldn't help but think that this guy is always in a good mood. He has a great sense of humor, a way with the ladies, he can tell a great story; he seemed like the kind of guy I'd hang around with and I hated that. I wanted to hate Dean for some reason. _Why do I want to hate him?_

"I think he knew." Casey added with a smirk of her own.

Dean shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. "Well we weren't punished…."

"And no evidence was found to connect us to it." Sam finished off as he looked towards Dean who just nodded as his smirk was still firmly in place.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Wait, we?" I knew Dean had to be referring to him and Sam at least but Casey was acting like she knew from experience what the brothers were talking about. I looked around the table and saw that everyone else was glad that I'm the one that brought it up.

"Yeah, we as in Sammy, Casey and myself." My mouth was gaping when Dean included Casey's name. I think Marti was doing the same because she immediately stopped drawing whatever it was she was drawing.

"No way! Casey was a part of this major prank? What was it?" Edwin was practically jumping in his seat in excitement at this new discovery about our stepsister. You could practically see the curiosity gleam through his eyes as he glanced between the trio in question, in anticipation.

I could see the surprise on both Dad and Nora's faces but Dad's expression changed to one that practically screamed 'calm down' at Edwin when he called his name. Edwin just turned to Dad and gave an innocent shrug.

"What? Dad, you're the prank master, surely you're dying to know what they did too." Edwin and I were smiling when we saw Dad having an internal battle with himself. I knew that Dad lived for pranks and he would be as curious as hell to know what this huge prank was, just like I was curious but I wasn't going to let anyone know about it.

Dad sighed. "That may be true son but as the parent, I can't condone it." I looked to Dad curiously giving a 'since when' look before looking to Nora who was smiling proudly at Dad's response. _Oh boy. _I shook my head disapprovingly at the fact that my dad can be so whipped at times.

"Don't worry George, I don't think they could repeat such an extensive prank anyways." Dean gave a smug grin which was directed at me and Edwin even though he was addressing my dad. I was fuming inside at the prospect of not being able to pull off any prank but I wasn't going to give Dean the satisfaction of knowing that he ticked me off by that comment. The whole reason I would bug Casey was for her over-dramatic reactions. _Music to my ears when she screams the way she does in anger._ I immediately shook the thought away.

Casey shook her head. "I rather not give them anymore ideas."

"Who cares what you think." I snapped at my stepsister causing her to stare daggers at me. _Normalcy! _I ignored her and turned to Dean. "So what was the prank?"

Dean had an amused expression as he looked between me and Casey for some reason. Dean had raised an eyebrow to his brother who was just grinning. They had one of their silent conversations before Dean chuckled and looked back at me to answer. "We performed the prank on the principal two days before we transferred schools."

"Why two days before?" Edwin asked.

"So we could see the reactions." Dean replied with that 'duh' tone to it. I was nodding in agreement while Edwin was making '_ooh_' sounds.

"I don't like what we did but we were teenagers at the time." Sam sighed as he tried to justify his reasons for pranking to Nora since she seemed to be giving off amused yet slightly disappointed looks. The looks didn't seem to bother Dean since he shrugged off his brother's reasoning. _I guess he's not a fan of authority figures. _I chuckled at the thought at the similarity between us. _I wonder if anyone else sees that? _

"As well as being bored out of our minds. While Sammy had his nose buried in the books, no school could keep me entertained for long." Dean finished off as he took a sip of his drink.

"Why's that? I like school." Marti piped up and I had to groan at my little sister's confession. _My little sister is turning into a keener like our stepsister. _

"Ugh, you've been spending too much time with Spacey." I complained to Marti, who shrugged, while I got a '_hey!_' from my stepsister in question. Dean was smirking before he turned to look at my little sister and I do have to say, it was amazing how when he was addressing Marti, he wasn't giving off this intimidating vibe at all. Marti even relaxed when Dean's attention was on her.

"Well Marti, when you constantly have to relearn what you already know, it gets really boring really fast. Sure it's an advantage but it's a boring one. It's kind of like rewatching your least favorite television show over and over again to a point that you practically have it memorized." He finished as he placed his newly crossed arms on the table.

"Oh, then that does suck." Marti replied and you could hear the sincerity in her voice.

Dean smiled. "You've got that right Munchkin." Marti was smiling too before she grabbed her chocolate milk again to take a sip. I look to Casey and Sam and saw that they were smiling at the older Winchester's antics towards my little sister. _I guess I should be happy that he's nice to my Smarti. _

Sam cleared his throat causing Dean to scoff. "Anyways with lots of planning, we emptied the principal's office and scattered its contents all over the school."

"There was no proof linking it to us, the new students and with us transferring in the next few days, we got off scot-free." Dean finished off with a victorious grin for the fact that they got away from a prank like that. The whole prank felt like déjà vu for me for some reason which I thought was odd because I didn't really pull any pranks on the principal except for the graduation prank. _So why does it sound so familiar?_

"That sounds a lot like the prank Derek did during his sophomore year when Mr. Lassiter first started." Lizzie piped up in her seat causing Edwin to snap his fingers in recognition. All of a sudden, flashes of that time when Mr. Lassiter started at SJST came rushing to my mind. That was around the time I pranked Casey with that 'Saturday is a school day' prank. I also took all of her clothes causing her to come to school in my orangutan t-shirt the day we met the new principal. _I never did understand why she was wearing my clothes and not Nora's._ It was the same time everyone was giving me kudos for a prank that I didn't do but Casey admitted to doing later on when I was in my room. My eyes widened at the last thought. _She reused a prank?_

"Yeah, he almost got expelled but Casey saved him…." I interrupted my brother as I glared at Casey. I almost got expelled for her prank and I now learn that she's done that prank before without a hitch?

"Wait, you did the prank flawlessly before yet you screw it up practically putting me in the hot seat?" I wasn't screaming when I said it but you could tell that I was angry with my tone. I even saw Marti looking at me with a worried expression out of the corner of my eye as I continued to stare Casey down.

Casey directed a smug smirk at me. "You started it by taking my clothes."

"You almost got me expelled." I growled back.

"Almost being the key word. I bailed you out in time, didn't I?" Casey pointed out, without missing a beat.

"How could you screw up a prank the second time you pulled it?" I asked incredulously as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Casey shrugged innocently. "Not the right back up." I had to agree, anyone is better than Tinker Tomlin. Dean laughed.

"Nice to know that's finally been ingrained in your brain." He quipped causing his younger brother to sigh.

"Harsh much, Dean?"

Dean looked to Sam with a smirk. "Not at all." Casey rolled her eyes.

"Wait so Casey really did pull that prank?" Edwin asked with curiosity and disbelief in his tone as he looked between me, Casey and the Winchesters. Everyone else was looking at me so I just nodded yes. All of a sudden, everyone was looking at Casey who was just grinning innocently as if no one just found out her pranking secret that I thought was only known between the two of us. _Guess I was wrong once again. _

"Why didn't you say anything Casey instead of letting Derek take the fall?" Nora asked as the overall shocked was gone after learning her daughter was the one that actually pulled the expulsion prank. Casey gaped at the question and I was finding myself now amused with the situation.

"Ugh, hello? I full out confessed at the dinner table that night only to get laughed at and cheered on for standing up for Derek." Casey explained with an incredulous look.

My dad sighed. "That's right, you did." Nora was sporting a shy smile for not believing her daughter at that time. _Yeah, well I guess Casey won't be getting away with anymore high caliber pranks. _That thought did kind of disappoint me since she did have such an advantage with everyone thinking she was a goody-goody. _I could have used her as a cover in the future with the pranks not directed at her. Wait, who says I still can't? _

"Since it's now cleared up that Casey already pulled our prank on the high school, you have no worries George." Dean beamed at the fact that everyone now knew that my stepsister is a prankster herself. Dad gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed his neck.

"Well I guess that explains how Casey's prank retaliations differ from others." My dad finished before taking a sip of his drink. Marti went back to eating her dinner and so did Lizzie. Edwin was a little hesitant since he didn't want to miss anything in the conversation. I rolled my eyes. _He probably wants to open a file on these two. _I took a moment to reel that thought over and it did seem quite useful. I'll bring that up to my brother later.

Casey laughed. "Years of exposure and experience George."

"I guess so but you rarely prank Derek back." Dad had a questioning look directed at Casey and he did have a point. I've pranked Casey multiple of times and she hadn't pulled a prank on me once (not counting the principal prank or the prank involving the medicine cabinet). If she's such a prankster, why hasn't she pranked me back? They definitely would have made our fights more interesting.

Casey quirked an eyebrow at her stepfather. "You rather I start pranking him back and end up bringing a prank war into the house?" I was smirking at the challenge.

Sam cleared his throat. "No matter how amusing that may sound, you get tired really fast when you always have your guard up for pranks. Those around the pranksters are also affected." Sam had directed the first part at me but he ended it off by glancing between Dad and Nora. Dad seemed to be thinking it over before he said anything.

"On second thought, don't prank back." I frowned as my dad went back to his meal and so did Nora. At this point it seemed like Dean was done eating and Sam was just finishing up.

"Good call George." Casey added in causing me to glare at her. All she did was smirk at me. _Stop with the smirking Casey! It's not normal!_

I gave my prank victim a cocky grin. "Not like you could get the jump on me anyways Spacey." I quipped.

She scoffed. "Says you. You haven't seen what I could do with a prank when I go all out, Der." She sported her own smug smirk as she finished her meal and pushed the empty plate away from her.

"I still doubt…" I was immediately interrupted by the ringing from a cell phone. I instantly knew it wasn't mine since mine also vibrates when I get a call plus my ring tone is specialized, while the ring I was hearing seemed like it was the default ringer. "…it. That's not my phone." I quickly defended myself as everyone was looking at me. Once I said that everyone looked to Casey, who patted the pockets of her leather jacket down to probably check if she missed her phone vibrate as the ringing continued.

"It's not my phone." Casey finally said. Suddenly Dad, Nora, Sam and Dean were patting their pockets or taking their cell phones out to check. I saw that it wasn't Dad or Nora since they gave a negative nod to one another causing everyone else to look towards Casey and our guests.

"Uh Dean?" Sam hesitantly stated as he held his ringing phone in his hands. The ring wasn't annoying (thankfully) but he wasn't answering it either. _Why is he hesitant to answer the damn phone?_

"Yeah?" Dean automatically answered but he didn't look at his brother as he took a sip of his coke.

"It's my phone." Sam stated causing Dean to almost choke on his drink. Dean's eyes widened as he stared at his brother.

"Oh crap, is it-" Sam cut Dean off with an affirmative nod.

"Well answer it." Casey almost screamed causing Sam to flinch. It was then that I saw that both Casey and Sam were a little scared of the impending phone call.

"He's not supposed to be calling me. He calls Dean first before me!" Sam argues as he refuses to answer it. I could see the rest of us were all confused as the trio were too caught up in their little disagreement.

"Don't keep him waiting Sam." Casey strongly suggested causing Sam to sigh before he excused himself from the table to take the call.

Casey was rubbing the side of her temple while her elbows were resting on the table. "Dean, do you even have your phone?" She questioned the older Winchester as she turned to look at him.

Dean patted his pocket again. "Yeah."

She sighed. "Is it on?" Dean gave her a look that said 'what type of question is that' before he moved to get his phone out of his pocket. The rest of us remained silent as we watched.

"It's supposed to be…" Dean paused as he looked at the screen and by the look on his face, he silently cursed. "….and its dead. Great." Dean gritted through his teeth as he placed the phone back in his pocket.

Casey was shaking her head. "Sammy's probably getting an earful for your misfortune." Dean shrugged it off and that emotional mask was back on his face. I couldn't even tell if he was angry anymore.

"Nah, I'll be getting it too once Sam passes the phone to me. Can I borrow yours for tonight?" Dean looked to Casey as he took the last gulp of his coke.

Casey gave him an incredulous look. "What am I gonna use?"

"You'll have it back by tomorrow since I'll charge mine once I get back to the motel. Besides you'll either be with me or Sam all night anyways." Dean explained as he waited for her to make a decision. I could see the internal battle Casey was going through before she sighed.

"Fine." Casey rummaged through her jacket pockets before handing Dean her cell phone. She was about to hand it to him but she pulled back. "Just don't give out my number to any girls." Dean smirked at the condition before agreeing, causing Casey to give him the phone for the night.

It was only seconds later that Sam came back to his seat and faced Casey and Dean with his hand covering the phone's mouth piece. Casey and Dean looked towards each other before looking to Sam. "Which one?" Dean questioned Sam but all he did was hand the phone to Casey as his answer. I saw Casey gulp before she took the phone from Sam, still covering the mouth piece.

"If I get yelled at for your crap, your night will be a living hell Dean." Casey threatened causing my jaw to drop as she glared at Dean. I think I saw Marti drop her half eaten chicken strip onto her plate from the corner of my eye and I think everyone else was surprised by Casey's threat. Dean was rubbing the back of his neck at this point, still under the scrutiny of Casey's glare.

"He won't yell at you but could you sweeten him up for me?" Dean smiled as he tried to convince my stepsister to help him out. From the looks of it, Casey wasn't falling for Dean's charm.

She scoffed. "You can smooth talk yourself out of this mess. Now if you'll excuse me." Casey ended off as she left the table to take the call. Dean was grumbling as he leaned back against his seat while he brushed a hand over his face in aggravation.

**

* * *

Casey's POV **

Once I was far away from the table, I removed my hand from the mouth piece and placed it close to my ear as my now free hand covered my other ear to hear better.

"Hi Daddy." I greeted my father over the phone in a very quiet manner because I didn't know what mood he was in. Sam didn't give any hints and it was very rare for our father to be calling Sam when he and Dean were together.

Dad always called Dean because he was the most obedient between the two of them when it came to hunting. Sam always asked questions, suggested his ideas that rivaled our father's while Dean just took the order without question, relying solely on our father's judgment. The only order Dean ever disobeyed was the one that separated us four years ago and any order that resulted in our family being harmed (leave one behind to save another or sacrifice; you get the picture). So when Dad calls Sam when the two are together, we all know it's never good.

"Hi Honey." Dad seemed to be in a good mood but I wasn't going to assume that. I remained silent but I could hear my father sigh on the other line. "Relax Honey, I'm only going to yell at your brother." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding go.

"Well, that's good to know." I joked causing my dad to laugh. "But in all fairness Dad, Dean's phone died sometime during the day. It must have been before we came out to dinner." I tried to get Dean off the hook, even though I told him that I wouldn't; I wasn't like that. I wasn't going to sell my brother out no matter what I had everyone believing.

"I just got a little worried that's all. The boys didn't check in last night to tell me they made it over the border safely. You know how quickly I jump to conclusions." Dad explained and I just nodded along with him even though he couldn't see me.

"I get it Dad, you're just looking out for them."

Dad sighed. "And you too Casey. I actually was going to call your cell later but since Sam told me he was with you, I told him to pass the phone along to you before I spoke to Dean." I could feel my eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"You were going to call me?"

"I wanted to wish you congratulations for graduating today and I wanted to apologize for not being there in person to see it. Sam said your speech was amazing, which I don't doubt." I could hear the proud tone in my father's voice and I started to fight back the tears that wanted to form.

"Thanks Dad, I wish you were here." I got out sadly and I heard another sigh.

"I know Honey and I'm sorry. This case went longer than expected." I couldn't blame my father for his absence. I would be selfish if I asked him to skip the hunt and come to graduation because by the time another hunter made the hunt, it could have been too late for the innocents he was trying to save.

At times I do wish that we lived a normal life but then I think back to all the people my family has saved over the past nineteen years and I knew that it would be selfish of me to take the lives of innocent people just so that I could live a normal life with my family.

"I'll probably see you in a week or two." My dad's voice brought me out of my brooding causing me to smile. _I was going to see my dad again soon. _

"I can't wait to see you Dad, I missed you."

"I missed you too but Casey, are you sure you want to go back into hunting? You can stay and go to university and stay safe." Dad tried to convince me to change my mind but I tried not to scoff at how pointless that was going to be. I guess Dad knew about my decision before hand but just like my brothers, he was trying to get me to change my mind. I know it's because they want me to be safe but I just couldn't abandoned them when I could very well help them. I've been preparing myself for this and I'm not going to back out. So I told Dad that.

"Dad, I've made up my mind and I want in on the battle. I wanna be there when we find the thing that killed Mom. I wanna be there when we finally end this. Maybe then we could live somewhat normal lives afterwards, together as a family. But until then, if my father and brothers are hunting then so am I." I finished off confidently and a little out of breath. _ I guess I should have taken more pauses._

I could hear the slight chuckling on the other line. "I see your determination hasn't disappeared."

"Nope. It actually helped me get that full educational experience you wanted me to have." I pointed out, reminding him of that day when he told me I would be living with Aunt Nora for four years.

"I see. Sam gave me a summary on it. You've been busy and productive." Dad seemed pleased with that but I was surprised that he knew when I just told Sam today the detail summary of my high school experience.

"He told you all that? But he was only gone for maybe five minutes."

Dad gave another soft chuckle. "Well, you're brother talks fast when he needs to."

I snickered. "True."

"Well, you better get back to dinner and I should go yell at Dean now." I laughed.

"Don't go too hard on him."

"What? Me?" Dad joked and I rolled my eyes, thankful that he couldn't see.

"Dad."

"Have fun tonight Casey. Don't party too hard tonight." Dad warned me and I nodded out of reflex.

"Thanks Dad and I won't, Sam will be there." I joked causing him to snicker this time.

"Don't rib on your brother too much either."

"But I have four years to catch up Dad." I whined a bit.

"Casey." I huffed as I gave a slight pout even though he couldn't see it.

"Fine. You be careful on your hunt Dad."

"You be careful too."

"I know. I love you Dad."

"I love you too. Now get back to dinner and hand your brother over to me." Dad joked ending the chick-flick moment just like how Dean would do it. _Like father like son. _

"Yes sir." I joked back causing my father to laugh putting another smile on my face. I know my dad is tough but it's to keep us safe but at least he knows when to be a father and when to be a soldier. It looks like me calling him 'sir' like I'm in the army hasn't left my brain after all this time. _How convenient. _

I caught Derek eying me as I made my way towards the table with his eyebrow quirked up as he silently wondered why I was smiling (I could only assume since I left the table dreading to take the call). I instantly wiped the smile off my face and put the emotional mask in place just to get on Dean's nerves since he wouldn't be able to gauge how my phone call went with our father.

I stood behind my chair and passed the covered phone to Dean. "Your turn." I told my oldest brother with no hint of emotion in my voice but all he did was stare at me, waiting to see if I would slip, which I wouldn't. He sighed before he took the phone.

"No hint?" Dean questioned as I was taking my seat in my chair. I took a moment to make it look like I was thinking that over but I wasn't.

"Nope." Dean grumbled before excusing himself from the table causing me to smirk as he dealt with our father. I turned the rest of my attention to the table. "So what did I miss?"

**

* * *

Derek's POV**

It was still silent after the moments Casey left to take the call. I think most of the table was still in shock from Casey's little threat to Dean or it was because they were too worried about Dean's next move as he was still grumbling.

"Did he grill you?" Dean finally asked as he looked over to his brother.

Sam smirked. "Nope, he's saving that all for you." Dean grimaced. I think I heard him mutter '_perfect_,' as it dripped in sarcasm.

"Was he mad?" Dean seemed hesitant to ask but Sam was no help as he only said that the caller was acting like usual Dean didn't seem to like that answer and he told Sam too. "That doesn't help Sam." He was glaring daggers at his brother but Sam was still smirking.

"I know. Think of it as payback for having him call _my_ phone."

Dean shrugged. "So I forgot to charge my phone last night, so sue me." Dean finished in an irritated tone.

"You always forget to do that." Sam pointed out causing Dean to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Well I was a little preoccupied last night." Dean explained causing Sam to roll his eyes now.

"I know and he knows too." Sam simply stated causing his brother's eyes to widen.

"You told him?" Dean gave an incredulous look to Sam who now seemed pretty amused by Dean's reaction.

"Nope." Sam answered as he took the last sip of his drink.

It took a few seconds before Dean was smirking again. "The guy is good." I didn't know what Dean meant by that but it caused Sam to laugh a little as he nodded his agreement. "Maybe he'll be in a better mood after talking to Casey." Dean thought more to himself but Sam was shaking his head in disagreement causing the older brother to sigh.

No one wanted to ask why this mystery caller caused both Winchesters and Casey to be on edge and I certainly didn't want to be the one to ask. I'm hoping they'd slip on who called and that way it'd be easier to question them about it. The Winchesters seemed to be tough guys that didn't have their cages rattled but it only took that mystery caller to call the wrong phone to set them both (and Casey) on the edge.

When I looked past Dean, that's when I noticed that Casey was coming back and she had a smile on her face. It seemed like she was laughing too and I was a little confused by it. _Didn't she leave here not wanting to take the phone call? _I quirked my eyebrow in confusion at her when she got closer but the smile was still in place. It wasn't until she was standing in Dean's line of sight that the smile disappeared and all I could see was an emotionless face. You couldn't even tell that she was smiling moments ago. _What the hell? _

Casey stood behind her chair and passed the covered phone to Dean. "Your turn." She told him with no hint of emotion in her voice but all Dean did was stare at her, as if he was waiting for her to share anything but she remained tight lipped. The older man sighed before he took the phone.

"No hint?" Dean questioned as Casey was taking her seat. She took a moment to think it over before looking back at Dean.

"Nope." Dean grumbled before excusing himself from the table causing Casey to smirk as he dealt with the mystery caller. She turned to look at the rest of us. "So what did I miss?"

"Nothing much." Sam answered before I could say anything. "Get any yelling?" He asked while smirking to the brunette.

Casey was smirking right back. "Nope. You?" Sam shook his head no causing Casey and Sam to laugh for no reason I was confused and so was everyone. Marti was even looking at me weirdly as if I knew all the answers and all I could do was shrug at my little sister. _Not this time Smarti. _

"Everything is okay though, right Casey?" Nora questioned after Sam and Casey's laughter died down.

"No worries Mom." Casey waved off Nora's concern as if it was nothing.

"Yeah, you know how Dad is sometimes." Sam added in as he looked to Nora who just nodded in understanding. After Sam's comment sunk in, it didn't make any sense. _Why would Sam and Dean be that freaked about their father phoning Sam's cell? Why would he want to talk to Casey who was equally as freaked as the brothers?_ Something didn't add up right.

"If it was your dad, why was he talking to Casey?" I found myself asking Sam causing both Casey and Sam to snap their attention to me. Casey was first to speak though.

"He said he was going to call me later on and wish me a 'congratulations for graduating' but Sam told him that I was with him so he asked to talk to me instead of making the original phone call." Casey explained easily and I couldn't detect whether she was lying or not. _Either she's gotten really good at lying that I can't even tell or that's the truth. _I chose to go with the latter.

"So Derek." Casey paused as she looked straight at me with a smile. I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion. _Why the hell is she smiling at me? _I didn't do anything to her to get a reaction like that. Even though it's nice to see a smile directed at me from Casey, it was still very odd after all this time.

Casey still didn't continue but she acted as if I knew what she was talking about. _As if._ "What?" She wouldn't stop smiling.

"I was just wondering if you told the family anything while I was gone." She voiced her thought aloud and I still didn't know what she thought I would talk about. All that happened while she was gone was Dean's freak out for his turn on the phone and Sam being no help to him.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Nope, now why would I?" She sighed.

"You can't think of anything to share?"

I contemplated the thought for a moment just for show because I still had no idea what was so important that she wanted me to share with the family. "Nope, nothing comes to mind. Why?" Casey was tapping her fingers on the table at this point.

"Really?" I shook my head no. "Nothing at all?"

"Nope." I simply stated.

Casey looked around the table before she started smirking at me. I looked around and saw that everyone was either looking at me or at Casey. "So you don't want to tell them the little bit of information you shared with me last night. To be honest, I'm curious to know the second part of it." The only thing about last night that I remember was Casey barging into my room and that resulted in her ripping up her speech.

"What are you talking about?" I was getting tired of not knowing what she was rambling on about.

Her elbows were on the table now as her chin rested on her folded hands. "Does the phase '_I have options_' ring a bell for you?"

The whole theme of last night's argument with Casey came rushing back. It somehow got to the point of us discussing about our future plans without really discussing it. It started with Casey asking me how I wasn't going to go to graduation to me throwing her a curve ball and telling her I got into university; I just never told her which one. _She wants me to tell them that news?_

I crossed my arms over my chest as I smirked at her. "Oh, that. I rather not say." I politely declined her idea.

Casey's smile dropped and I wanted to laugh but I didn't. "Why not? It's the perfect time to tell." I was going to tell her no, and if she wanted me to share my news then she had to share hers too since I still didn't have a clue what she was choosing. She said she made a decision but I still didn't believe her. I would have said that if I hadn't felt a slight tug on my arm.

Marti was looking up at me with curiosity. "Tell us what Smerek?" I sighed. I couldn't deny telling them with Marti looking like she'd pout all night if I didn't say anything.

I turned to look at Dad, Nora, then the rest of the table with my smirk still in place. "I got into Queens."

It was silent for a moment but once the news registered in everyone's brains, I got their excited reactions which just caused my smirk to turn into a smile. Marti was hugging me tightly around my waist as I heard a muffled '_way to go Smerek!'_ while Dad and Nora both showed their excitement with Dad repeating my news (as if the second time would cement it into his brain) as Nora told me it was wonderful news.

"Yeah, I got a late acceptance." I added in before getting a high five from Edwin after saying how proud he was of me. Lizzie was smiling at me as she said how cool my news was while Dad had this proud look on his face that made it seem like he would be jumping up and down like a little kid on a sugar high if he could. Sam also gave me his congratulations and I nodded as a thanks.

Casey was still smiling. "Hey, you're going to the same university as Sam! That's wonderful!" She clapped her excited hands together and I couldn't help but laugh, but she was right. I was going to the same university as my best friend. How awesome is that!

"Hey, what's with all the cheers?" Dean questioned after making his way over to his chair, phone closed in hand.

Casey faced Dean with the smile still on her face. "Derek just told us he got into Queens University."

"The one in Kingston, right?" He questioned to make sure he knew which school that was. _Has he heard of it before?_

"Yeah." Casey confirmed causing Dean to grin as he looked to me.

"Well congrats kid. I hear its one hell of a school." That took me off guard but I still accepted it. _Don't want to be reprimanded now, do I?  
That would be a no._

"Yeah, thanks."

"So how about some dessert to celebrate the news then." Dean suggested getting a very eager '_yeah_' from Marti who practically jumped in her seat. Dean was laughing before he asked another waitress for Layla so we could order our desserts. Once he did that, he made his way over to Sam with the phone outstretched in his hand. Sam was smirking at his older brother.

"Any problems?" Sam questioned with a smirk as he took his phone back from Dean.

Dean scoffed. "Nothing I couldn't handle." Dean was now in his seat. Sam was about to put his phone in his pocket when a piece of paper that was attached to the phone caught his eye. The rest of my family didn't notice as they were still reeling over the fact I was going to Queens but Casey seemed interested in what Sam was holding.

"What's this?" Sam held the folded piece of paper up as he questioned his brother. Casey too was looking at Dean, waiting for an answer.

"I thought you said there were no problems." Casey questioned as Sam was looking over what was written on the paper. _What's on it?_

"There weren't any." Dean assured Casey before looking to Sam. "It's just a few things he wants us to check up on later while we're here. No big deal. Just enter them into your phone just in case I loose that scrap of paper." Dean advised while Sam just nodded his head in understanding.

"I guess I'll look into it once we're back at the motel." Sam stated as he started texting whatever was on the folded sheet of paper into his phone.

"Do I get to see it?" Casey questioned as she tried to sneak a peek at what Sam was texting.

"Maybe later Case." Dean addressed to my stepsister before looking again to his brother. "When you're done, text it to my phone."

"Already done." Sam stated as he shut his phone and placed it in his pocket while moving the sheet behind Casey and over to Dean, who pocketed the sheet of paper before Casey could grab it.

Casey huffed while she looked to Sam. "Don't I get a copy?" Sam furrowed his eyebrow in confusion.

"I sent it to your phone as well." I was confused at the idea of Casey wanting whatever it was on the sheet of paper. I knew I was curious about what was _on_ it but she acted like she knew along the lines of what could be written on it.

"But Dean's using my phone tonight." She practically whined causing Dean to snicker as he checked his borrowed cell to see if he did get the text from Sam.

"Tough luck Case, you just have to wait until later." Casey sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest in defeat. The sight in front of me was just too amusing that I couldn't help but smirk. I was going to say something but I was interrupted.

"So I was told that this table wanted some dessert." Layla greeted the table once she approached standing between Edwin and my Dad.

"Glad to see you got my message." Dean gave another appreciative smile to Layla causing her to grin like crazy.

"Yes I did. So how does ice cream and/or coffee sound?" Layla suggested and I think everyone was just nodding their head in approval. The waitress got everyone's ice cream orders, and Nora and Dad's coffee orders before she started cleaning up our empty dinner dishes and walked away.

"So Casey, do you have something to tell the family?" I asked innocently as she looked to me with a confused expression.

"What would I have to tell?" She simply asked as she tilted her head to the side.

I shrugged. "You wanted me to tell them about Queens, now what about you? I know for a fact that you made a decision already." I confidently stated since my best friend confirmed it to me earlier at the ceremony that Casey had made a decision and she just didn't know when to tell the family. Also last night she claimed she already made a choice but I didn't believe her at the time due to the lack of celebration directed at her for her news.

Casey sighed. "I think that today has already dealt with a lot of announcements for the night. My news could wait a day, or two." She mumbled the last part but I still heard it.

I scoffed. "I knew you haven't made up your mind yet."

"I have so." She instantly bit back. She looked like she had more to say but she didn't as moments later Layla came back with our desserts. Multiple 'thanks' were given to the waitress as she gathered up the rest of the empty dinner dishes. Layla had whispered something to Dean, who nodded in agreement, before she left.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It was a few moments into a dessert that Dad asked me what my plans were for tonight. I just told him that I was going to hang out with Sam and Ralph before heading off to Jason's place for the grad party. No need to tell him about our attempts to try to get some alcohol at the pool hall. Granted, there will be alcohol at the party but I don't know, it's more impressive if you've said you've had a drink at a bar when you're still underage, you know. Dad just nodded along and told me to be home by curfew and to not do anything stupid tonight. I snorted at the thought but nobody noticed.

Nora asked the same question to Casey and it seemed like she was going to show Sam and Dean around town before making a brief appearance at Jason's party. I kind of felt sorry for the brothers since they had Casey for a tour guide, which I knew wasn't going to have any entertainment stops along the way before the party. I did notice that Nora didn't give Casey the curfew speech that Dad had given me moments ago. On instinct, I wanted to bring that to the table but I stopped myself before I said anything. _She probably doesn't think that Casey would be staying out too late anyways. Casey's not really the partying type of girl. _I nodded along with my thought while I finished up my ice cream.

Shortly after I was done my ice cream, so was Dean and he was rummaging through his pockets for something. It wasn't long after that when everyone else was done with their ice cream and leaning back in their seats as if they were stuff. Marti was looking kind of sleepy too. _It's been a long day for Smarti. _

"Well that was a lovely dinner." Nora commented after finishing off her coffee and Dad was nodding along too as he sipped down the last bit of his hot beverage. I noticed that Dean was now rummaging through something in his hands under the table but I couldn't really question him on it since Layla showed up right next to Dean.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Is that everything else for tonight?" Layla greeted as her hand was resting against Dean's chair. He looked up and gave her another smile before nodding his head yes.

"Yes, that's all Layla." Dean kindly stated causing the waitress to grin.

She pulled out a black cover slip thing that restaurants usually put the receipts in and handed it to Dean. I looked around and everyone else looked as confused as I felt. _Why is she giving it to Dean?_

"Okay, then here is your bill. There are two copies of the receipt in there, so one of them is yours to keep." Layla explained while Dean opened up the thing to look at the receipt inside. He smirked.

Layla was about to leave but Dean stopped her. "Hang on one second Layla. I could give it to you now." Dean already had some bills in his hands as he placed them in the black cover slip thing (I've never associated a name to it before) right on top of the two receipts. "Does it matter which copy I take?" Dean raised an eyebrow at the waitress as she just smiled.

"Top one's yours." Dean took the receipt that was his, closed the black cover slip and handed it to Layla with a smile while holding the receipt in his free hand.

"Thank you and here you go." Layla took the black cover slip with a slight blush as she smiled. "You can keep the change Layla." Dean added in before he released his grip from the black object.

"Thank you Dean." Layla smiled appreciatively at Dean before putting the black object containing the money into her smock pocket.

"No thank you Layla. You have a good night now." Dean wish the waitress well before she wished the rest of us good night before she walked away to up the money in the register.

I think once the initial shock was overcome by everyone at the table (due to Dean's act of kindness), Nora spoke up.

"You didn't have to pay for dinner Dean. It must have been four times what you're use to paying." Dean shrugged as he stood from his seat.

"It's the least I could do Nora after everything you've done for Dad, Sammy and myself these past few years." Dean explained as he tapped Casey on the shoulder. She looked up to face Dean and I could see his eyes rove over her upper body before they went back to meet her face. Casey smirked before she started taking Dean's blue button up shirt off and handed it back to him. Dean took his shirt back and he started putting it back on before he slipped his leather jacket back on.

"You still didn't have to do it though Dean." Nora politely countered as she too stood from her seat as she got ready to leave. She motioned for the rest of us to do the same.

Dean smirked. "What's done is done Nora." My stepmom sighed.

"Well then, thank you Dean. That was very kind of you." Dad added in once he was standing and ready to go. At this point everyone was ready to leave and with that, we all followed Nora out of the restaurant as we got many '_have a good night'_ farewells from the employees of the restaurant.

Sam seemed to be talking to Nora up front, with Edwin and Lizzie following after them then Dad and Marti. Casey and Dean were just in front of me which was interesting because I was still able to hear Casey's question to Dean as we made our way to the front of the restaurant.

"So, did you get it?" Dean took his hand out of his pocket to reveal the receipt for the dinner. He slowly turned it over to reveal a set of digits as well as Layla's name on top. _He got the waitress' number? Such a subtle move, I wasn't even expecting him to get her number. _I was definitely impressed.

Dean was smirking. "What'd you think?" She smirked right back.

"I think you haven't lost your touch." It was at this point that we reached the front of the restaurant and before Dean could respond to Casey, the hostess (Kelly) said her farewell.

"You folks have a great time tonight." Kelly cheerfully stated as she gave a wink in Dean's direction.

"Maybe I'll see you later Kelly." Another one of Dean's appreciative smiles were directed at the redhead.

She gave a seductive smile back. "Maybe." Dean grinned but Casey was tugging him out of the restaurant while she stifled a laugh.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Once she was outside the restaurant, Casey couldn't hold the laugh in anymore. Dean was smirking like an idiot when he led Casey in the direction of everyone else. After a few moments, Casey was able to speak. "You could never control yourself could you?"

Dean gave her a cocky grin before he replied. "What can I say? There's enough of me to go around." Casey pushed Dean away in mock disgust (she was smirking the whole time which I couldn't believe) causing him to retaliate by pulling her in closer to him and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get use to it again."

"That is what scares me." She quipped in mock terror.

"Ha ha Casey." Dean joked back before he was tackled by Lizzie with another hug, loosing his contact with Casey. "Woah Liz, almost knock the wind right out of me." Lizzie laughed before pulling away. Casey seemed to go off to where Sam was standing, next to the Impala.

"Sorry, but I get to see you while you're here right? This isn't the only time?" She questioned the older Winchester causing him to smile at her while lowering himself to her eye level.

"You'll see me all week Liz, don't worry. I'm not gonna take off without saying a goodbye to you." Dean explained before leaning closer to Lizzie's ear to whisper something. She kept nodding her head up and down before he pulled back.

"Well have fun tonight then!" She gave her farewell before rushing back to Nora leaving me and Dean alone. I don't know why I wasn't at my car yet but I just stood still. It was Dean's voice that brought me out of the weird haze I was in. I blinked a couple times before turning to him.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Where was your mind at just now?" Dean smirked at me while I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to say that I was trying to figure out why I hadn't left yet, no need for him to know that. _I still didn't know why I wasn't on the road yet. _

I shrugged. "Nowhere important."

He snickered. "If you say so. Anyways, you have your car here right?" He questioned as he scanned the parking lot. I was confused by why he would care.

"Yeah, why?"

He shrugged. "Just checking. I'll probably see you at the party Casey's dragging us to later." I could hear the annoyance in Dean's voice at the idea of going to a party for high school graduates. _I guess it's not his scene now that he could go anywhere. Lucky bastard. _

"I guess so." Dean was about to say something but both our heads whipped around at the sound of Casey's voice.

"Dean c'mon! You're gonna wanna move your butt faster once you hear where I want to go first!" She shouted with her hands on her hips, staring at the both of us with Sam laughing just behind her as he stood on the passenger side of the Impala.

Dean chuckled at my stepsister's antics. "Can't say I missed her bossiness." I snickered in response since it was true. When Casey wants to be, she can be really controlling. "Anyways, have fun tonight Derek and congrats on the acceptance." Dean patted my shoulder before walking off to his car; I could only nod in recognition of his words.

I could see Casey's impatience as Dean took his time and he was just laughing his way over there. It wasn't long before Casey and the brothers were in the black car and they left the restaurant's parking lot. _Probably won't see them for another couple of hours._

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

I walked over to the Prince and saw my Dad waiting there. I looked to where he was staring at and I saw the family car with everyone else in there waiting.

"What's up Dad?" I greeted my father as I passed him to get to the driver's side.

"I came to remind you about your curfew before we left." Dad informed me causing me to sigh.

"I know Dad relax." I assured my Dad causing him to let go of a breath I guess he was holding.

Dad started smiling as he patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, you have fun tonight son and I'm really proud of you. Great news about your acceptance."

I smirked but I did appreciate the recognition. "Thanks Dad."

"Have fun." Dad shouted to me as he made his way back to the family car. I couldn't help the cocky grin that formed on my face with all the possibilities that could happen tonight, flooding through my brain. _Oh I will._

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A/N #4: **I posted a seating type chart/picture on my photobucket account just so that you see where I placed everyone just in case it wasn't clear. I apologize if there was an inconsistencies with the eating part of the chapter. (I went over it a few times to make sure there weren't any so I'm sorry if some of them slipped by me).

**A/N #5: **How was this part? Enough Winchester history? Enough of Derek's confusion on Casey's behavior? I apologize if there wasn't enough of the other family members saying much but they will later on. I wanted to focus on Derek's observations and I figured Lizzie wouldn't say much since she knows Sam and Dean, Marti would remain quiet and in her own little world, Nora & George would watch and listen while Derek and Edwin asked all the questions. **(Don't worry, Dean's whispers to Lizzie will be explained in the next chapter)**

**A/N #6: **Now, I wanted to give a warning about next chapter. Since it's either the transition scene or the party scene, I think it would be better if I wrote it the same way I wrote the 'Open Mic Plight' outtake since third person POV gives you a piece of everyone. **So please leave me a review **telling me what you think about it as well as what you think will happen next in the story. **I love hearing what you guys think about the story, so please review! =D  
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Originally Published: **September 5, 2010

**Edited: **September 10, 2010**  
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	8. Ch 7: What Do We Do Now?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 7: What Do We Do Now?**

**A/N #1:** Sorry for the delay but I figured I'd post this on premiere day! Anyways, **thank you so much **to all my readers and reviewers! You guys means so much to me and your reviews put a huge smile on my face (and with school starting, I definitely need all the smiles I can get). **Thank you from the bottom of my heart!**

**A/N #2: **OMG, the season premiere for _Supernatural_ was awesome! So many questions and I can't wait for them to be answered! (What'd you think of the premiere?) Although I love that my fav. shows are starting up again, that doesn't mean I'm too fond of the idea of school starting up again -_-. I seriously wish it was May and I was free once again.

**A/N #3: **Alright so this is the first chapter that I've dumped the first person POV and I've written it in a third person POV like I've been doing for the outtakes (this way, you get what everyone else in the story is up to plus I don't want to rewrite scenes twice but from different character's POV...which you may want later on). So **ENJOY!**

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Disclaimers: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Rude Awakenings", "Prank Wars", "Not So Sweet 16", "Driving Lessons", "Middle Manic", "Truman's Last Chance", "Crushin' on the Coach", "The Bet", "Don't Take A Tip From Me" and "Tuesday Afternoon Fever"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **hints of "Hell House"

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Not So Sweet 16" and "Fright Night"

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**_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

George Venturi slowly made his way back to the family car after bidding his oldest goodbye for the night. He still couldn't believe that not only had Derek graduated from high school that afternoon but he also got accepted into Queens University. There was no reason for George _not_ to be ecstatic for Derek's upcoming educational experience. It really surprised George how his son's academic habits have shifted during his final year. He even allowed Casey to help him with his final exams, which he was both relieved (because then he wouldn't have to relearn everything just to teach Derek) and confused by the sudden turn around. Casey was another thing that George was surprised for. It seemed like during their final year of high school together, they had somehow formed a quasi-friendship between them, as Derek would call it. George never pushed for answers since he didn't want this good thing to end. Things were finally looking up for his merged family.

Another thing that confused George was Sam and Dean Winchester. He never knew who the younger men were but from watching his wife and stepdaughters' interactions, he'd say that they were definitely important people, especially to Casey. George didn't notice a lot, like Derek had, but he did notice the basics. He noticed the way his wife's eyes would light up whenever Dean went into a story of a time when Casey visited him and his brother or whenever Casey was fighting with Dean or when Sam would try to smooth things over between the two. It seemed like Nora wasn't fazed by those two fighting (just like Sam, he noticed) as she was with Derek and Casey fighting. George knows although it's amusing to watch the two teenagers fight, it was never a good sign. _Why was it different when Casey and Dean squabbled a bit? _He did know for certain, maybe by gut instinct or something, but George knew that Sam and Dean definitely cared a lot for Casey. There was no doubt about it. Now the motivation behind it was what peeked his interest. _What are Sam and Dean to Casey, and vice versa? _

George definitely was surprised to learn that his eldest stepdaughter was a former prankster just like his children, with Sam and Dean as her targets or allies. He felt bad that he didn't believe Casey when she told the truth about that prank but could you really blame him? Would you believe your keener stepdaughter pulled a prank on the principal when all signs point to your prankster son. _Then again, she's smart enough to elude suspicion and have it all point to someone else. _Now that he thought about it, it was definitely plausible that Casey would pull that prank after hearing what Sam and Dean had done when they were younger.

As if on autopilot, George got into the driver's seat, buckled up and turned to his wife and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Well that was an interesting dinner." He chuckled while Nora looked a bit nervous.

Although Nora was thrilled to see her nephews again (in one piece), she was still feeling a little dread to the fact that them being here meant that Casey was going to be leaving soon. Nora couldn't help but see that instant spark in her niece's eye when she first set eyes on her brothers, back at the house. Nora knew that the past four years have been tough on Casey without her even mentioning it to her. Casey was a tough girl but she sometimes slipped a little when she thought about her family and the danger they constantly put themselves in. She would seem more spaced at times that Derek thought it was normal for her, hence the nickname Spacey or Space Case, but Nora knew that it was during those moments when Casey looked so lost or a tiny bit vulnerable, that she was thinking about her brothers. Thinking about whether they were safe, healthy or when the next time it would be until she heard their voices again. The time before her emergency surgery was the worst since John and the boys rarely called and Casey wasn't allowed to call them. Nora had yelled at her big brother for putting his own daughter through that and she was thrilled that he finally listened to her and called his little girl after her surgery. The wedding and the unfortunate lie they got themselves into hadn't helped Casey all that much and Nora always felt terrible for that. Nora was supposed to provide her niece with a normal living experience away from hunting yet here she was having her niece hide half of who she was. _Hopefully that will change this week._ She mused to herself. On top of that, she was lying to her new husband and her new stepchildren. Granted she didn't want anyone in the family, including Lizzie, to know about the supernatural aspects but she wanted to tell them that Casey was her niece NOT her daughter, although she treated her like one and even at times, she even forgot that Casey was only her niece. John definitely had a remarkable daughter.

"You're not mad I didn't tell you about their visit, are you?" Nora questioned as she moved back into her seat after the racing thoughts passed through her brain. George thought it over. _Was he angry? Nah but he would have liked a little warning. _

"I'm not angry but a little warning would have been nice." He teased as he started the car and pulled out of the parking space, trying not to hit any of the nearby cars.

Nora sighed. "I know Georgie but I wanted it to be a surprise for Casey. I know she's missed those boys terribly."

"I for one, _love_ the surprise Mom. I still can't believe they're here." Lizzie piped up with excitement from the back seat which she shared with Edwin and Marti, who was in the middle.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It remained silent throughout the drive home with the adults reminiscing on their respective graduate while the three younger children were lost in thought. Marti seemed to be humming one of her crazy tunes while Lizzie and Edwin were thinking about the events that happened at dinner.

It wasn't a lie that Lizzie was thrilled to see Sam and Dean at the table when they arrived. Lizzie loves her cousins to death, she definitely preferred them over their cousin Victoria. At first it was hard calling Casey her sister because sometimes instead of 'sister' the word 'cousin' almost came out of her mouth. Lizzie knew that for some reason Casey and her mom didn't want the Venturis to know the truth and she respected that. If Casey wanted them to know, then it had to be her to tell them. She also knew that her cousins moved around a lot and she knew that Casey was home-schooled before so it kind of made sense that her Uncle John would want Casey to stay at one school for all of high school. Lizzie was thrilled when Casey first came to live with them but even she could see that her cousin missed her brothers terribly. Since Lizzie was an only child, she didn't understand the bond Casey had with Sam or Dean but she knew that their bond was definitely the strongest she's seen. She was thrilled that Casey thought of her as a little sister and Lizzie eagerly accepted their new dynamic. Lizzie was aware that Casey wasn't herself once the wedding occurred so she was a little surprised that the Casey she saw at dinner was very similar to the Casey that first moved in with her before the wedding (and before the boys left).

All throughout dinner, Lizzie could feel the happiness that was radiating off of Casey as she was surrounded by both her brothers. Sam and Dean were truly the best, they'd look after Casey as if she was a prized family jewel and they took special care of Lizzie whenever she was around. Lizzie got a much better treatment from Sam and Dean than she ever did from Victoria. It seemed like Casey was back to normal when it came to her attitude towards her brothers and throughout dinner, she paid close attention to Derek who seemed amused and confused by the situation before him. Lizzie knew that there was _something_ between her oldest stepbrother and her cousin; she just didn't know what it was exactly. Seriously, how could their not be _anything _with all that's happened between them in the past three years? She was grateful that Edwin thought so too, he's had so much research on those two that it's amazing that no one had noticed earlier. She would have to ask about that later and compare notes about recent events with him.

Edwin on the other hand was trying to figure out what happened all throughout dinner. It was just so much of an information overload that he couldn't even believe it. Learning that Casey was actually a former prankster was definitely the shock of the night because no one was expecting it. He even saw that Derek too was surprised by that little tidbit but it did seem like Derek knew that she was the one that pranked Mr. Lassiter a few years ago when he started at SJST High.

Another was Sam and Dean Winchester. It was obvious they were brothers but they seemed to be complete opposites. Dean definitely gave off that rebel 'James Dean' vibe while Sam was the 'perfect son' type. They both clashed yet worked well together, especially when they did that creepy silent talk thing to one another. Dean seemed to be a lot more outgoing when it came to the ladies while Sam just sat back and watched as if he knew that it wasn't the time or place to act instinctual towards the opposite sex.

Another thing he noticed was the way Casey was acting towards Sam and Dean. It was as if she's known them her whole life (which was confirmed later he realized) but she had complete trust and faith in them. She wasn't acting within predicable parameters and it confused him as well as Derek. Casey had always been reliable and predictable and that's what caused Derek to always be one step ahead of her when it came to pranks.

Edwin knew that he had to talk to Lizzie about their guests and about the new behavior his oldest stepsister was sporting. He didn't know if it was just from the high of graduating earlier that day and she'd be back to normal tomorrow or if this behavioral change was here to stay. _Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?_ He would have to keep a close eye to make sure for himself. After all, it's part of his stepbrotherly duties to watch out for his stepsister and make sure she doesn't spiral out of control, right? Granted Derek might be the one to take action when it came to Casey but Edwin usually provided the intel that provoked Derek into taking action (if he wanted to).

They were just pulling up onto their street when Edwin started rifling through his pockets for a scrap piece of paper. He found a pen in one of the pockets at the back of the seat in front of him and he started scribbling a note for Lizzie.

The next thing Edwin knew was Marti's quick escape out of the car. He quickly passed the note to Lizzie before exiting the car after his little sister.

Lizzie stayed behind to read the note. _**Games Closet in 5 minutes. **_She smiled. _Maybe this will be easier than I thought. _Lizzie hopped out of the car and headed inside to her room to change out of the dress she was required to wear to the grad ceremony.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Edwin had five minutes before he had to meet Lizzie in the games closet so he decided to grab some intel from his little sister. He noticed over the years that Marti had a great judge of character. She instantly knew Scott, the soccer coach, was scum before Derek found out that the coach was scamming many of the sisters on Lizzie's soccer team, including Casey. Then there was the time with Trevor and from a first glance, he looked like a scary dude dressed in all black with black makeup but he was actually a great guy. _Hopefully Marti could do the same when it comes to Sam and Dean._ He thought as he took a deep breath.

Edwin knocked on Marti's bedroom door. He got a quick _'just a minute'_ before she opened her closed door. He saw that she was in her pajamas this time and he was glad he didn't barge in like Derek is so use to doing (at least when it came to Casey).

"Yeah Edwin?" Marti questioned as she looked up at her older brother with obvious curiosity in her eyes.

Edwin started to fidget. It wasn't foreign for him to go to Marti to help out with a spy mission but it was usually Derek who asked Marti this type of stuff. "Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?" Marti tilted her head to the side before opening her door wider for Edwin to enter.

Edwin made his way to her bed as she closed the door behind him. Marti had an idea why Edwin would want to talk to her. She even had a feeling that if her Smerek were here right now, he'd be asking her the same thing later.

"Is this going to take long Edwin 'cause I don't want to miss my cartoons." Marti questioned as she moved to sit on her bed with Edwin.

Edwin rubbed the back of his neck. "Right sorry. I was just wondering what you thought about Sam and Dean." Marti smiled. _Just as I thought._

"I like them. Dean's funny and Sam seems smart but that's all I got." Marti was disappointed at the thought of not learning more about the mysterious Winchesters. She knew in her heart that she could trust them and that they wouldn't do anything to harm her or her family which is what mattered to her the most.

Edwin chuckled at his little sister's words. "Yeah Dean did come off as funny but what about Sam? I got no indication about them personally. They barely talked about themselves. They just mostly talked memories." Edwin reasoned off. Edwin was excited that his questions were answered that night but there was just so much that he wanted to know. He wanted to crack the mystery as to why his predictable stepsister was acting so unpredictable that night.

"I like those memories. I want Smerek to take me out for some ice cream like Dean did for Casey." Marti smiled at the idea.

Derek had promised her just before he got his license that he would take her out for some ice cream but he never got around to it. She was proud that she had gotten him to learn how to drive carefully from Casey because she didn't want to see her Smerek getting into a car accident due to his reckless driving. That memory was also another reason why Marti liked Dean. He reminded her of her eldest brother and she couldn't think that anyone who reminded her of her Smerek would be bad. _Never._

Edwin chuckled again. "I bet if you ask, he'll do that for you." Edwin knew of the special bond between Derek and Marti and he wasn't going to disrupt it. Surely the three of them have weird dynamics between one another (Derek bossing Edwin around being one of them) but he cared for both his siblings none the less.

Marti clapped her hands with excitement. "Awesome!" Edwin smiled before clearing his throat.

"Now back to Sam." Marti snapped her fingers and started to focus.

"Right, well I just got this vibe like I get from Casey. It's just a gut feeling." Marti shrugged it off as if it was nothing while Edwin stared at her in awe. _My little sister is definitely something special._ He thought with a smile.

"And what did your gut feeling say about the three of them?" Edwin questioned; eager to find out what she thought. He personally thought there was more than meets the eye between those three but those were based on first appearances.

"Sam, Dean and Casey?" Marti asked causing Edwin to nod a yes to her. "I think they care about each other a lot." Marti answered proudly and she wondered how her brother hadn't picked up on that. Marti had her suspicions that Derek knew that fact and maybe that was why he was acting the way he was at dinner. _He's just looking out for Casey, as always._ Marti giggled at the thought.

Edwin was going to ask about the random giggling but he stayed focus as he glanced to his watch quickly. "So you don't think they'd hurt Casey?"

Marti shook her head. "Nope. She's safe with Sam and Dean just like how she's safe with Smerek." Edwin quirked an eyebrow, confused as to why his sister would make that comparison when the teenagers in question fight all the time. _The fights aren't that often anymore_. He thought quickly before it was pushed to the side for further analysis later.

"That's not really a good comparison Marti." Marti was smirking at this point. _Why doesn't anyone else see it?_ She wanted to ask that but she knew she couldn't. Not yet anyways.

"Trust me, it is Edwin. You'll see." Edwin knew by his sister's tone that she knew more than she was giving off. He would have questioned her some more but he knew how stubborn she could get when she wanted to keep something a secret but he also didn't have enough time to ask her about it.

He glanced at his watch again as he stood from her bed. "Thanks Marti. I got to go." Edwin rushed to the door to open it.

Marti jumped off her bed. "Good because my cartoons are on." Edwin laughed. He wished his sister well before he met with Lizzie. _Time to figure out what Lizzie knows. _

* * *

Dean couldn't help but laugh at his sister's impatience as she waited at the Impala. He could see that his brother was also finding her antics amusing. _It's been too damn long. _Dean chuckled at the thought as he got closer to his beloved car.

"So what is this oh so great idea that's going to get my butt moving faster Casey?" Dean mocked as he stopped in front of the driver's door.

Casey's impatience was immediately replaced with her patent smirk. "Well now you just have to wait until we're in the car." She quipped back as she opened the back door.

Dean laughed. "Doesn't seem like you lost your demanding touch Baby Girl." Sam laughed while getting into the shotgun seat.

"Yeah and don't you forget it. Now c'mon!" Casey hurried on as she got into the backseat, slamming the door gently after her. Dean wouldn't have been happy if she slammed the door hard on his car.

Dean kept shaking his head at his baby sister's antics as he too got into the driver's seat, started the car and hightailed it out of the parking lot and back into traffic.

"So where are we going or are you gonna make me drive aimlessly around London?" Dean questioned while focusing on the road.

Casey smiled with her destination already in mind but not ready to share with her brothers. She only gave Dean an address, not telling him what resided there. Sam too was curious as to why Casey was so excited on going to this place.

Casey cleared her throat. "First off, nicely done back there with sticking to the truth yet leaving out the gruesome details that is our family." She smiled as she leaned forward to lay her arms on the front seat between her brothers.

Sam shrugged. "Well we figured that if we lied, it would come to bite us in the butt later. Besides it seemed like Derek and Edwin were hanging off every word we said."

Dean nodded along. "I noticed that too."

Casey did notice that as well but she was very glad that Derek didn't press on anything that Sam or Dean revealed. _It wasn't too damaging but the trips down memory lane were very amusing. _She smirked at the thought and what she was about to do next.

"And secondly…" The next thing Dean knew, he was getting a smack upside the back of his head. Thankfully they were at a red light but still he didn't see it coming. Dean quickly whipped around to glare at his smirking sister as he rubbed his head.

"What the hell was that for? I didn't sign up to be your punching bag." Dean declared as he glared at Casey who was staring right back at him.

"That was for telling everyone that I pulled that prank two years ago and that I was a prankster back in the day." Sam snickered as he tried to stay out of this banter while being amused at the same time. _Some things never change. _

Dean scoffed. "Back in the day? I bet you would still be pranking if you were with us." Dean finished off with an arrogant tone.

Casey huffed. "I guess we'll never know, now will we?"

Sam sighed. "At least Derek knows that you're a prankster, isn't that a good thing?" That was the only thing that was confusing Sam at this point. Wasn't it Casey's idea to get Derek to see the real her and the real her had pranks involved. So shouldn't she be happy that he now knows?

Casey leaned back in her seat. "He knew beforehand that I pulled that prank. I didn't want everyone else knowing." Sam and Dean both made _'oh'_ sounds from the front of the car realizing now that they practically ratted their sister out to their aunt and new-ish uncle. It was never really a problem before since their father never really worried about their pranks. He only worried about them getting out of hand to a point of it becoming a distraction for when the job needed to get done. Harmless pranks usually went unpunished when it came to John Winchester.

"But now he knows that _that_ wasn't the only time you pulled pranks." Dean pointed out.

Casey sighed in defeat. Her brothers did have a point. "I guess but thirdly, what was on the sheet of paper? Can you at least tell me that?" She diverted the conversation easily causing Sam to look at Dean as well. Dean didn't say much when he came back from his phone call with their Dad since we had others listening in but now was the perfect time to hear the real story.

Dean smirked. "It's a bunch of names Dad wanted us to check out while we're here. Nothing big he said but it's just a precaution."

Sam started reeling possible cases in his head. He figured the names that Dean handed him had to be either possible targets or past victims. "Does he have a connection between them?"

Dean quickly glanced to Sam before he returned his focus back to the road. "It's a crazy one but he said if he's right then something should happen next week." Dean kind of had mixed feelings about a possible hunt. Sure there were supposed to be on vacation with Casey but if someone needed their help while they were here, then they were going to get it.

"Where?" Casey piped in.

"Waterloo, Ontario."

"Alright, I'm in on it too right?" Casey questioned with anticipation since it's been so long since she's been on a hunt. In the past, she would help with the research and if it was an easy case (ie: salt and burn type job) then she'd go out into the field too but with any other case, Dad just said she wasn't ready just yet. So she continued her training (secretly) so that wouldn't be a future excuse for her unless she was severely injured. Casey couldn't help but remember the time when she thought that her new home was haunted when Edwin brought up that dead plumber that one time during their first year after the merger. _Wonder what Sam and Dean would think about that?_

Sam sighed.

"If you want to be but I would think you'd want to spend the rest of your time in London." Dean tried to reason since he didn't want his sister to give up her innocence even though that technically was gone long ago. Even though he wanted her with him so that he could personally keep her safe but then again, he wanted her in London where he knows that she would be out of immediate danger.

"Well I will be, you said next week right?" Casey countered.

Dean sighed knowing she wasn't going to give up. "Yeah."

"Well there you go, I can do both." Casey piped up again with a smirk on her face.

Dean grumbled. "Alright, enough shop talk, where are we going?"

"_Hunter's Bar and Grill_." Casey responded immediately. Both brothers gave her questioning looks.

"Does the name allude to…" Sam left his sentence trailing off hoping that Casey got what he meant. _Did the title refer to actual hunters like themselves?_

Casey scratched the back of her neck in thought. "I'm not really sure, Derek's mentioned it once or twice when he comes home from a party kind of tipsy. He said he goes there just to see if he could legally get a beer and when he doesn't he just gets it at the high school party that he was planning on going to originally." She explained with a shrug as if it was nothing. She knew Derek never drank a lot or enough to be called drunk. He rarely came home tipsy. Usually when Derek drank, you didn't know unless you smelt it from his breath. That was the only way Casey knew at times if he had been drinking.

"So you want to go to a bar? You can't really do much there Case." Sam reasoned, not really sure why his sister would want to go there. He understood now why she thought that would make Dean move faster since he did love to make a stop at every town bar possible while on the road.

Casey shrugged her shoulders, not really seeing what the problem was. "Why not? I heard there are pool tables, a dance floor, a huge bar and a stage where they sometimes have live entertainment. Personally I've never been before but I've been waiting to go with you guys."

Dean smirked. "Why's that?"

Casey gave her brothers an incredulous look. _Have they forgotten? _"Seriously?" Both brothers now had a confused expression on their faces, not really sure what Casey was referring to. She sighed. "Guys, what's the one thing you made me promise before I left?"

"Watch out for boys." Dean immediately stated causing Sam to scoff and Casey to giggle just a little.

"Alright, the second thing?" Sam and Dean both pondered on what their sister could be talking about; that's drudging up a four year old memory that they rather forget since it was associated with them having to leave Casey behind for her safety.

"I've got nothing." Dean mumbled while Sam shrugged. Casey rolled her eyes.

"I promised you that I wouldn't touch alcohol as long as I was here and now that you're here, I want some." Casey was determined to have some alcohol in her system. She tried some when she was younger. It was just after Dean's 21st birthday. It was just the three of them with their Dad on one of his overnight hunts. Dean had bought his first 6-pack legally and he had Sam and Casey share a bottle just for the taste of it. Sam didn't really like the brand and Casey had mixed feelings about it but it was only on special occasions like that did Sam or Casey ever drink underage.

Dean laughed at Casey's almost whining tone. "Wasn't there another part to it?"

"It was that my first legal drink would be with the two of you." Casey added in causing Dean to _'ah' _in recognition. Before they reached Aunt Nora's place in Toronto, Sam and Dean had Casey promise them a whole bunch of things before they separated. One of them being that she stayed away from alcohol (unless Aunt Nora gave her some for New Years) because you never know what teenagers put in that stuff during parties. The second one was that she wasn't going to have her first legal drink in a bar without Sam and Dean by her side. _Need to have family to back you up._ They had said at the time.

"There's our problem. You won't be able to get a drink at the bar." Sam pointed out.

"Yes I will." Casey bickered back with a smirk on her face.

"No you won't." Sam reflexively bit back while Dean was smirking at the image beside him. _'Bout time those two started to banter with each other. _Dean thought with a chuckle. No sibling dynamic is complete without a little arguing.

"How old am I?" Casey asked, randomly in her brothers' opinion. She knew that age must have been the reason why they were hesitant (well Sam was hesitant at this point).

Sam shifted in his seat but he didn't hesitate to answer. "Nineteen and that's exactly why you can't get one-"

Casey cut him off. "In America but we're not in America right now." Casey was smirking now and Dean saw that in the rear view mirror with confusion evident on his face.

"What'd you talking about?" The oldest Winchester asked while Sam stared at his sister, waiting for an explanation.

"Legal drinking age in the United States is _twenty-one_. Legal drinking age in Ontario is _nineteen_." Casey stressed the location and the age when she told them the law that was holding her back from having some fun. Dean was smiling like crazy while Sam was looking at her in awe for the little legal lesson.

"Serious?" Sam asked as he fought down a smirk. Casey could see that the corners of his lips were twitching and she couldn't help but smirk.

"Dead serious."

Dean chuckled. "Hell, this night just got a lot more interesting."

Dean had a feeling that something was going to happen at this bar and he couldn't wait. It wasn't the gut feeling that something bad was going to happen but it was the feeling that something very amusing was going to happen. _She did mention that Derek has been there a few times and I think tonight would be another night he'd make another visit. _Dean smirked at the thought while a whole bunch of devious ideas ran through his brain that would get under Derek's skin. _And help Casey out too, of course._

* * *

Derek finally got to his car, hopped right into the driver's seat, set up his Bluetooth for his cell before starting the car and hitting the road. He couldn't believe the day he was having already and the night had just begun. He still had practically two parties to attend that night so he knew he was in for long yet entertaining evening.

When Derek came to a red light, he quickly picked up his cell and speed-dialed his best friend Sam. It rang so many times that Derek thought it would go straight to voice mail before Sam picked up.

Finally he did. "What's up D?"

Derek chuckled at the familiar greeting. "Nothing much Sammy. I'm on my way to the grill now. Where are you?" He asked while staying focused on the road. He wasn't going to admit to anyone but he did still follow some of the things Casey taught him about driving. _No way was I going to be driving like my dad. _He thought to himself.

"Outside the grill talking to you." Sam joked.

"Explains why I had to wait so long for you to answer." Derek retorted back with a little bit of an accusatory tone.

Sam snickered. "Sorry D but I couldn't miss Ralph strike out with a girl."

"Was she hot?" Derek asked without missing a beat.

Sam chuckled. "Definitely but from the looks of it, she had a boyfriend with her."

Derek '_ooh' _for Ralph's misfortune but he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Ralph possibly using the 'nice shoes' line. "Poor Ralphie."

"Yup, so how'd dinner go?"

Derek sighed. "It was crazy man. You wouldn't believe me at all." Derek still didn't believe it himself.

While the dinner was kind of like a Q&A to learn more about Sam and Dean Winchester, he in a way felt like he was also learning about Casey too as if he just met her and he didn't like that feeling. _I'm not supposed to feel like that about someone I've been living with for the past three years. _It wasn't like Derek advertised it to anyone but before that day, he knew for a fact that he knew Casey the best and that no one else could top that. He would always bug Casey by saying '_I know you too well'_ whenever they bantered and he subconsciously prided himself with that notion being true. _Now I'm not so sure anymore. _He didn't like that thought at all because it seemed like with the presence of the Winchesters, he'd seen sides of Casey he's barely had a glimpse of before, in just a few hours.

"Good crazy or bad crazy?" Sam's question broke through Derek's thoughts.

"I don't even know. I'm still reeling in the aftershock I think." Derek blurted out the honest truth before he could stop himself.

"What happened?" Curiosity evident in his best friend's voice.

Derek didn't know where to beginning. Does he start with the fact that Dean is very suave with the ladies that they even passed over him, Derek Venturi because they all had their eyes on Dean Winchester? _Nah, I don't wanna seem like I was affected by that fact. _Although he was impressed by that, Derek wasn't use to it. He's always been the King when it came to social situations. Since that was out of the question, does he start with how Casey was a prankster in her past that battled the Winchesters in their prank wars? _That sounds far fetched even to me. _Derek wouldn't have believed that if Casey hadn't told him she pulled that prank on Mr. Lassiter a few years back. _So chances are Sam won't buy it either. _Memories were out of the question. So what about the constant competition between Casey and Dean before the family even arrived? Those two seemed to bicker about anything and they were quite amused with it too, like they've waited so long to have those words pass each other's lips as if it was long overdue. _It was since they haven't seen each other in four years._ His brain reasoned against him but it didn't mean that he agreed with it. Was it the fact that he wanted to be the only one to fight with Casey, Derek didn't know. All he knew at the time was that he didn't like the feeling he had in his stomach for some odd reason. _It's too foreign. _

Derek thought he was lost in his thoughts for awhile but it was only a few seconds before he answered. "Let's just say I got the vibe that there is a lot more going on between Casey and the Winchesters than I thought." He didn't know why but that's the vibe he got from the trio. It was as if there was more to the three of them than any one of them were telling. He felt like he was missing something and his damn curiosity wouldn't let him shake the issue off. _You want to know the damn connection between them, that's all. _Derek was frozen for a moment with that thought but another one soon formed; _why do I need to know?_

"What'd you mean?" Derek could tell that his best buddy was confused and quite frankly so was he. _How am I supposed to explain it if I'm confused too?_ Derek didn't like this caring feeling and he sworn to the heavens that this was all the graduation ceremony's fault. _Too much exposure to overly emotional graduates and their parents!_

Derek sighed. "I don't even know where to beginning Sammy."

* * *

After getting home and having all the younger kids rush upstairs while the two graduates were out partying with their friends, George wrapped his arm around Nora's shoulder, hers instinctively going around her husband's waist, as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Can you believe it? They graduated today." George finally said as he was still reeling with joy from Derek's announcement.

Nora sighed at the day's milestone events. "It seems like yesterday that they just started high school." Nora smiled at the memory of Casey starting her first day at an actual school. The girl was so nervous yet excited to finally experience that little bit that every child practically went through. _Every kid would rather be in Casey's home-schooled situation than have to go to school. _Nora had to stifle a giggle at the thought.

"So much time has passed by so fast. I still can't believe Derek's going to Queens in the fall." George couldn't stop smiling at his son's accomplishments after being use to his slacker ways.

Nora looked up at George when they made a stop at the kitchen island. "I'm so proud of him Georgie." George kissed Nora's temple before releasing his grip on her to head to the fridge to grab a couple of water bottles for them.

"I am too. To be honest, I thought Casey might announce what she plans on doing in the fall. They do tend to do that." He chuckled at the thought, remembering the one time they both revealed that they had gotten a job at Smelly Nellie's. George turned around to face Nora and saw that she was fidgeting a little. "When do you think she'll tell us?"

Nora sighed. She already knew Casey's decision but she wasn't supposed to say anything. "When she's ready."

George knew that something was up with Nora since she rarely fidgeted unless she was concerned about something. "What's wrong Nora?"

"Are you mad that I didn't tell you about Sam and Dean?" Nora couldn't help but feel a little insecure about the issue since she felt so guilt about lying to George about who Casey really was. Nora knew that it was her fault to mistakenly say she had two daughters when she first met George, thinking he'd run but he didn't but then she never corrected herself. When she told Casey about it she said she can't tell the truth since George was a lawyer which could lead to very complicated legal matters involving an investigation on how John was raising his children. Nora couldn't do that to her brother or his children so she went along with it, not realizing that her relationship with George would become so much more.

George on the other hand was confused about the abrupt change in conversation, not really sure why Nora was worried about that. Sure at first he found it awkward that two twenty-something year old men were joining them for dinner and they were apparently at the ceremony for Casey but as the dinner went on, it wasn't that bad.

"I told you before Nora, a little warning would have been nice. That's all." He teased once again as he wrapped his arms around Nora's waist to try to calm her down.

Nora nodded before letting a breath, she'd been holding, out. "So what'd you think of them?"

George took a minute to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "They seem like great guys. Dean definitely had that charisma and he came off as a people pleaser….."

Nora laughed at George's words for Dean. "Oh, Dean is definitely like that. After Casey first met Derek, she told me he was a Dean-in-the-making." George chuckled.

"So that's what we'll get in five or so years." He joked.

Nora held her chin in thought before nodding her head yes. "Probably." George smiled at his wife's newly found upbeat behavior but his smile dropped when he didn't know what to say about Sam Winchester.

"Unfortunately I didn't get much on Sam but he seemed to be on the same wavelength as Dean throughout conversations…"

Nora smirked at that notion as she thought of all the times Casey had mentioned that little habit the boys had when they were growing up. "Casey used to complain about that all the time. She would always be paranoid that the boys would be having a silent conversation about her in her presence. When she was younger, she thought they had telepathic powers."

George chuckled as he directed them to their basement bedroom. "I had that same thought. It's creepy how they finished each other's thought or knew what the other was thinking."

Nora laughed as she descended the stairs with George following after her. "It's what you get with those brothers. They are real close yet they can fight like they are polar opposites."

George smirked at the thought as another pair came to mind. "Kind of like Casey and Derek." Nora entered their bedroom and retrieved her pajamas before heading to the basement's bathroom while she shouted out "Kind of," to her husband. She left the door open a bit so that they could still continue their conversation.

George took off his jacket before proceeding to untie his tie while he leaned against his door frame. "Well Casey seemed very happy so I'm glad you had them as her surprise." George couldn't deny that fact. His eldest stepdaughter did look very happy.

Nora stuck her head out of the bathroom. "I hope you don't mind but I invited them to the barbecue tomorrow. They have to drop Casey off tomorrow anyways so I figured why not have them stay for dinner and let them have some swimming thrown in too." George nodded his head yes before Nora went back into the bathroom.

It was a few moments later before the second part of what Nora said registered in George's brain. "Wait, Casey's not coming home tonight?"

Nora finally left the bathroom and headed to the bedroom to where George stood still and confused. "No, I said she could stay with Sam and Dean tonight because I knew she wanted to catch up with them." Nora explained as she headed to the laundry bin.

George was a little skeptical. Sure he thought the guys were great but that didn't mean that they earned his trust that fast. "Are you sure that's a smart move Nora?"

"Trust me Georgie. You couldn't have asked for two better guys to look after Casey." Nora defended without missing a beat before she started helping George with the tie that he'd forgotten about.

* * *

Lizzie was already in the games closet waiting for Edwin when he decided to show up. _Finally!_ She thought since her legs were starting to feel numb.

Lizzie switched the closet's light on. "Took you long enough." She snapped back a bit but she wasn't at all mad at Edwin, she just didn't want to talk about what she guessed would be on her stepbrother's mind.

Edwin was rubbing the back of his neck, trying to avoid any eye contact with his annoyed stepsister. "Sorry, was talking to Marti and she kept getting off topic." Lizzie quirked an eyebrow.

"Off topic about what?" Edwin relaxed once he heard curiosity instead of annoyance in Lizzie's voice.

Edwin batted his hand in the air, practically gesturing that he'd tell her later. "First off, why didn't you mention Sam or Dean to me?" Lizzie sighed. _I knew this was going to be his first question_.

"I wasn't supposed to bring them up." She could see the confusion all over his face.

"Why? They actually seem like great guys." Edwin added in with a nod of approval. _They are definitely interesting._ He thought.

She smiled. "I know they are great guys. They are the best and that's why I didn't say anything." She whispered the last part which confused Edwin even more. _If they're great, wouldn't you want to talk about them?_

Edwin shrugged. "I still don't see the harm in mentioning their names before tonight." Lizzie closed her eyes and had the palms of her hands rub over her tired eyes. _Don't give away too much. _She continued to think as she blew out a breath.

"You don't get it Ed. Casey was devastated when they left four years ago." Lizzie opened her eyes to see Edwin's mouth hanging open just a little. _Casey was devastated?_ He thought but he couldn't dwell on it since Lizzie started talking again. "They weren't allowed to contact each other. The only way they could keep in touch was through email." Edwin could see the sadness on Lizzie's face as she described Casey's turmoil. "Bringing them up would have been like opening up old wounds for her. I couldn't do that to her."

Lizzie looked down hoping that Edwin didn't see that her eyes had crestfallen tears from the thought of how badly Casey missed her brothers. Lizzie was never one to cry but seeing how much Casey had been through the first year she lived with them before the wedding, Lizzie never wanted to see Casey like that again. Casey was always strong and together when around people but whenever she was alone; Lizzie could hear the soft cries that came from her cousin. All of Casey's tears over boyfriends here in London were no match for the tears she shed over her brothers during her freshman year. _I wonder if Mom ever knew to what extent Casey missed Sam and Dean_.

Edwin heard Lizzie's voice waver a bit at the end before she looked down. He was so confused but he knew for a fact that his stepsister wasn't exaggerating what Casey had been through before they had met. Edwin didn't get it, with technology today, there were so many different ways to get in contact with someone but he was still too dumbstruck to the point he only got one question out. "They couldn't talk on the phone?"

Lizzie shook her head no. She sighed a few minutes later before continuing. "At first, it drove her nuts when she couldn't hear their voices. Even though I was little and Casey would try to be strong after they had to leave, I knew she was crushed. They're practically her second family." Lizzie took in a huge breath before letting it out.

Edwin didn't want to ask, but he had to make sure. "So Sam and Dean would never hurt Casey?" Lizzie finally looked up and gave him an incredulous look.

"That's like asking if Derek will ever turn down food willingly." Edwin laughed at that causing Lizzie to smile too.

"That's true but I just had to ask." Edwin shuffled a little in his spot as he avoided eye contact once again.

Lizzie sighed. "I know Edwin. You're just looking out for Casey." Edwin nodded before his head jerked up to reveal a mischievous smile on his face.

"At least I'm not doing it alone; Derek showed some interest in that department." Edwin remembered the slight change in Derek's behavior at dinner whenever he interacted with the Winchesters. He definitely saw confusion, amusement, and Edwin at one point thought he saw jealousy coming off of his older brother. _That couldn't be right, could it? _A quick thought told him that Casey was acting differently too. _Note to self: more investigating to do tomorrow. _

Lizzie quirked at eyebrow, remembering Derek's changed attitude when he seemed to be dealing with Casey's dormant side. "Really? I guess I wasn't hallucinating at dinner then."

Edwin chuckled. "Nope, I made a lot of observations during that dinner." Edwin finished while tapping the side of his head.

"Are any of those observations worthy enough to make it into your research?" Lizzie questioned as she silently thanked the easy topic transition while the moment Dean asked for a favor kept playing in her mind.

**[FLASHBACK]**

_After Dean introduced himself to George and the rest of the Venturis, he made his way back to his seat in between Casey and Lizzie. George was discussing Derek & Edwin's prank timing at the graduation ceremony which gave Dean the perfect moment to whisper his request to his favorite cousin. _

_Dean leaned forward enough to have his lips by Lizzie's ear so she could hear him perfectly against all the restaurant noise around them. _

"_I need a favor from you Lizzie."_

_Lizzie tilted her head a bit to the side so that she could whisper into Dean's ear to respond. __"What'd you need?"_

"_Word has it from my sister that you and Edwin are the family spies."__ Lizzie quirked an eyebrow at the randomness of that comment but she still nodded a yes before he continued to speak. __"I'll keep this short. Do you have research on Casey and Derek?"_

_Lizzie felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. __"As in them together?" __Dean gave a soft chuckle. _

"_Yes and no. Do you have individual profiles for Casey and Derek?" __Dean repeated but in a clearer way causing Lizzie to nod yes. __"Do you have one about the two of them and their encounters?"_

_Lizzie smiled. __"Of course."_

_Lizzie could feel Dean smiling by her ear and couldn't help but wonder _why_ he wanted to know. __"Perfect. Is it more extensive than the one you had shown Casey when she was dating Sam?" __Lizzie laughed a little as she remembered that horrible graph Edwin made to show how long Casey and Sam's break ups lasted. _

"_Well yeah." __She answered causing Dean's grin to widen. _

"_Excellent."_

"_I'm still not following Dean." __Lizzie added in causing Dean to shake his head a little._

"_Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. I need those files. Is there anyway I could borrow them for a day or two?" __Dean asked. _

"_Edwin has them." __Lizzie told him without missing a beat. Edwin held all the research in his room. _

"_Can you get them?" __Lizzie wasn't sure but she felt like she heard a little bit of desperation in her cousin's voice. _

"_I'll try but why?" __Dean sighed. _

"_I wanna know what you two see when it comes to Casey and Derek. I wanna know exactly what kind of trouble those two have been in." __Dean joked causing Lizzie to scoff when he mentioned the word 'trouble'. _

"_Does this have to do with some brotherly love thing?" __Lizzie quipped. _

"_Of course." __Dean mocked but Lizzie knew he meant it. Dean was back to being serious. "__Will you do it? For me?"_

_Lizzie already knew that she would help Dean the moment he asked her for a favor but she made him sweat it out a few moments before she nodded her head yes. Dean thanked her by kissing the side of her temple before pulling back and grinning at Lizzie, causing her to smile right back. Lizzie just hoped that he would tell her what exactly he found in those files that he needed to find. Lizzie was brought out of her curious thoughts when Casey thanked Mom once again before Dean nudged his sister. _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

"I say all of it is." Edwin's response snapped Lizzie back to reality. She tapped her chin slowly as if she was thinking of something while she was actually reorganizing her thoughts and her game plan to get Dean what he needed.

"Maybe I could help fill in some of those blanks too." She suggested causing Edwin to smile at his partner in crime.

"That'd be great." Edwin did love to spy but he enjoyed it more when Lizzie would help him out because between the two of them, they could observe and record a lot more than if it was just Edwin alone.

Lizzie titled her head to the side. "Did you finally merge the files together like I told you to?" Edwin shook his head no since those files were too big to simply just merge them together.

"No I made duplicates instead." Edwin added in. He kept the original hard copy that was usually the field notes and then he'd copy them to his computer and he'd save them in many places just in case he lost a copy. _You can't easily replace three years of research. _He thought to himself.

Lizzie was supporting a surprised look before she composed herself. "Is one copy for me?"

"I can email you one if you want." Edwin told her causing Lizzie to smile at how easy it was to follow through with her plan to help Dean.

"Perfect." Lizzie couldn't help but let her excitement show.

Edwin chuckled once again. "Shall we get started?" Edwin had his hand shadowing the doorknob but Lizzie pulled his arm back remember what he had said earlier as curiosity was overcoming her need to get the email and forward the files to Dean.

"In a minute, now what did Marti tell you?" Edwin smiled before moving his hand away from the doorknob and he gave Lizzie a brief summary of his conversation with Marti, who was still downstairs watching her cartoons.

* * *

Derek had ended his phone call with Sam awhile ago when he couldn't take the constant questions his best bud was asking of him when he himself didn't know how to answer them. He told Sam the basics on the Winchesters that he learned like they've known Casey since the day she was born or that they haven't seen each other in four years. He mentioned Nora and Lizzie's interactions towards the brothers and some stories that Dean told the family. To say that Sam was surprised was an understatement and that was him getting a summarized version, imagine if he was actually there like Derek was.

Derek was just glad when he pulled up to _Hunter's Bar and Grill_ that he'd have a few hours to relax and get away from the drama before it was a reasonable time to go to Jason's for the party where there would be (no doubt) some emotional girls since it was the last high school party for all the graduates. It was usually Sam, Ralph and a few members of the hockey team that joined in on Derek's pre-party routine since they turned sixteen when they were allowed into the grill. Usually they'd play a little pool, grab a couple of numbers from the female populace at the bar and they'd attempt to get the bartender to give them alcoholic drinks with no suck luck in the past. _Hopefully that will change tonight. _He thought as he found a parking spot. Derek knew there would be alcohol at Jason's place (just like at all the other high school parties) but for some reason, he viewed this as a challenge since you had to deal with the legal stuff. Derek figured if he could get a drink from the bar while still being underage, well that would be a completed challenge. _I'm never one to turn down a challenge._ He smirked at the thought.

Derek got out of the Prince, locked it and then headed inside to greet his party buddies. It seemed like _Hunter's Bar and Grill _was packed tonight. He recognized some people from his graduating class and figured that some of them had the same idea of waiting it out here and having fun before heading out to Jason's party. He could see some of the usual customers that were a bit older and they probably went to the universities near here or they were home for the semester. There weren't that many older couples present but you could definitely tell that the majority were either in their late teens to their late twenties.

Before Derek even made it to his usual table, he was swarmed with two sets of arms blocking his path, followed by two slaps on the back.

"Congratulations man!" Over the music, Derek could hear the familiar voice. Derek turned to see Ralph grinning at him like crazy.

Derek quirked an eyebrow. "Thanks man. Ugh, congrats to you too." Ralph laughed as he gave Derek another slap on his back.

"Thanks D but I was talking about your acceptance!" Ralph explained causing Derek to whip around to find Sam snickering. _He told Ralph of my Queens acceptance? _

"Way to spread _my_ news Sammy." Derek joked since he wasn't really mad at Sam. He should have expected something like that happening once he told Sam during their phone call. Somehow, that bit of news slipped out during his summarized version of dinner.

Sam smirked, not really fazed by Derek's antics. "Sorry D, but we're going to Queens together. Can you really blame me?"

"I'd say you're still coming off your high of graduating." Derek quipped as the trio walked to the table with the rest of their hockey buddies.

"You telling me you're off _your_ high already?" Sam questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at his best friend. He still wondered what could have happened during dinner that made Derek act this way because he was sure that he didn't get the whole story.

Derek scoffed. "My graduation high was killed when I found the Winchesters in my house earlier. I'm running on my party rush."

"They were at your house earlier?" Ralph asked while trying to piece together what had changed for Derek since the ceremony.

"Long story but they were waiting for Casey." Derek rushed, not wanting to talk about his now unpredictable stepsister and her two _lovely_ guests.

"I think the night is long enough to hear the story." Ralph added in while Sam nodded along side him. Ralph didn't get much from Sam and Sam was waiting for the stuff that Derek didn't feel like revealing. _Why reveal something he didn't understand? _Derek thought.

"I rather not dwell on Casey's older friends." Derek insisted as he started bumping fists and greeting his fellow hockey players once they reached the table. Derek turned to his best buds. "Let's get a drink."

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Once again, Derek, Sam and Ralph had no luck in getting any alcoholic drinks from any of the bartenders. That alone would have dampened Derek's mood but he wasn't going to let it. He had many reasons to celebrate that evening and if he wanted a beer so badly, he could wait a few hours to try again after the bartenders switch shifts or he could wait to get one at Jason's party. He was a high school graduate, a Queens' freshman; he felt like he was on top of the world. He was getting girls' numbers, having fun with the boys around the pool tables and politely declining the ladies that wanted to dance with him. _Dancing at house parties is one thing, dancing in public is a different story. _He thought every time a girl asked him to dance. _Like I told Ralph weeks ago, _Crazy Legs_ is taking a break. _

Derek was taking a brief pause and enjoying his coke, not really believing that only a little time had passed since he arrived. He had a perfect view of the grill; the crowded bar, the packed pool table area, the swarms of people dancing on the makeshift dance floor along with the many people just sitting at their tables and watching and resting just like he was doing.

Derek was too busy scoping out the room to notice Sam and Ralph taking their seats on both his sides. Ralph had to nudge Derek in the shoulder since calling his name seemed to be useless against the music.

"Tired already D?" Ralph questioned while taking a sip of his own coke.

Sam scoffed while Derek snickered. "That's absurd. Derek's too excited to be tired already. Right D?" Sam patted Derek on the shoulder after Derek finished taking another sip of his coke.

Derek smirked. He didn't know why but he just had this building feeling that something different was going to happen. He wasn't worried since this was a good gut feeling like when he'd play hockey and he just knew that they would win. "Relax guys. I have a feeling that tonight will be a night that we won't forget."

Ralph was nodding along in agreement while Sam sat frozen in his seat with his drink half way to his mouth. Derek saw his friend's weird pause and looked at him strangely.

"What's eating you Sammy?" Derek questioned causing Sam to lower his drink and gulp a bit, still looking off into the crowd.

"You still have that good feeling D?" Sam asked nervously causing Derek to following his friend's stare out of curiosity.

Derek was about to tell Sam that he worried too much but that was before he set his eyes on a familiar brunette who was laughing with two smiling guys flanking both her sides as they walked further into _Hunter's Bar and Grill._

Derek's mouth hung open at the sight. _Oh no. _

**

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A/N #4: **So how was it? I know there wasn't much Casey & Derek but I figured that would be made up in the coming chapters since it's about their night of celebration. How'd you like the different scenes? How'd you feel about Lizzie's flashback? What about the rest of the McDonald-Venturi's thoughts on the Winchesters?** Let me know what you think in a REVIEW!** I'd really appreciate it =D

**A/N #5:** I also did some minor changes in the previous chapters but it doesn't affect the story that much. I just had a definite decision about Casey and Derek's birth-dates so those have been changed (check the prologue chapter). Just a little heads up.

**A/N #6: **So as outtakes go, "Not So Sweet 16" is already posted and I just have to work on "Fright Night". Unfortunately since I have a ton of required readings and such (and I'm trying not to get behind), my updating may be delayed. Just a heads up but please stay tuned! **You readers/reviewers are the best! **Thank you so much for your support by just reading. It means the world to me. **(UPDATE: "Fright Night" is now posted)**

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Originally Published: **September 24, 2010

**Edited: **November 1, 2010


	9. Ch 8: Hunter's Bar and Grill

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 8:** **_Hunter's Bar and Grill_**

**A/N #1:** Alright everyone, I'm so sorry about the long delay for this story but I was debating about whether I should include some new characters just for the graduation night but boy are they gonna bring up questions *hint hint*. I just wanted to say that I had a little break from tests/assignments etc. so I was able to write this chapter up to where I wanted to leave it off (I actually had the Winchesters arrival to the bar done immediately after I posted Ch. 7).

**A/N #2: **I just wanted to say **thank you **to all my readers and reviewers! You guys are the best and it's very exciting to have other's interested in my story, allowing me to share it with you all as I too take the journey with you. If that sounded corny, well I'm sorry about that. Either way, **thank you so much **for all the reviews and all the hits to the story. It really means a lot to me and I really appreciate it. =D

**A/N #3: **Alright so the last time I posted was just after the _Supernatural _season 6 premiere...so we're seven episodes in already, so what do you all think? Personally, I get more and more questions as to what happened to Sam but either way...I'm a Dean girl =D (I thought the episode referencing Twilight was amusing...SPN vs Twilight, I'll always pick the Winchesters ;D) What about you? Just thought I'd mention that but now **go read the chapter! Enjoy!**

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Disclaimers #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place). _(Disclaimer #2 at the end…to prevent spoilers)_

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Truman's Last Chance" and "Mice and Men"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"After School Special" (werewolf case mentioned in flashback)

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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_**LAST TIME:**

Derek smirked. He didn't know why but he just had this building feeling that something different was going to happen. He wasn't worried since this was a good gut feeling like when he'd play hockey and he just knew that they would win. "Relax guys. I have a feeling that tonight will be a night that we won't forget."

Ralph was nodding along in agreement while Sam sat frozen in his seat with his drink half way to his mouth. Derek saw his friend's weird pause and looked at him strangely.

"What's eating you Sammy?" Derek questioned causing Sam to lower his drink and gulp a bit, still looking off into the crowd.

"You still have that good feeling D?" Sam asked nervously causing Derek to following his friend's stare out of curiosity.

Derek was about to tell Sam that he worried too much but that was before he set his eyes on a familiar brunette who was laughing with two smiling guys flanking both her sides as they walked further into _Hunter's Bar and Grill._

Derek's mouth hung open at the sight. _Oh no. _

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier:**

"We need some ground rules." Sam stated as Dean turned into the parking lot for _Hunter's Bar and Grill. _Dean and Casey both groaned in their seats.

"Why must you suck the fun out of everything Sammy? We're at a bar to have some fun." Dean told his brother as he turned the Impala off after parking under the parking lots' light. _No idiot is gonna steal my baby while it's in the light. _The oldest Winchester mused to himself.

Sam looked pointedly at his brother. "Correction, we're now at a bar with Casey. So first rule…." Sam turned around to address his little sister. "We have to have you in our sights at all times." Dean gave an 'are you kidding me' look to Sam.

Casey's eyes widened. "What? What do you think could possibly happen?" Casey looked between both brothers and she saw Dean's jaw tense up, as possible 'worst case scenarios' ran through his mind while Sam gave Dean a 'do you agree with me now' look. "Wait, don't answer that." Casey added in before Dean said anything.

"I actually agree with that rule." Dean turned around in his seat to face Casey. "If you're gonna drink, we need to keep an eye on you." After Dean ended the serious part of his little speech, he started to smirk. "Plus we have to look out for any potential _threats_."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Are you seriously referring to my potential dates as threats?"

"Yes, yes I am." Dean said in a nonchalant way. Sam was trying to hold back a laugh due to his brother's antics.

"I can handle myself with the guys Dean. I've proved that already and I'll give the same mini speech I gave during freshman year with the added bonus of saying _'my brothers are watching out for me'_ to them this time." Casey defended while smirking as she gave Dean the 'just watch me' look.

He laughed. _Yup, that's my sister. _"Good."

Sam cleared his throat. "You're really going to hate this one Dean, no hook ups tonight." Sam was directing that rule to his older brother, who snapped his attention to Sam, as his eyes dilated in shock.

"What?" Casey laughed at Dean's reaction. He glared at her causing her to immediately cover her mouth as she tried to smother her laugh.

Sam shrugged as if it were no big deal what he was asking of Dean. "Can't have you ditching us tonight plus I rather not get kicked out of the motel room tonight and I think Casey agrees with me on that one." Casey nodded along in agreement.

Dean grumbled a few profanities to himself as he got out of the Impala. Sam and Casey looked to each other, stifling a laugh each before they themselves got out of the Impala.

"Well if that's the case, the same goes for the both of you." Dean finally retorted once Sam and Casey shut their doors, allowing Dean to lock his car up.

Casey gasped in mock surprise as she placed a hand dramatically over her heart. "What type of girl do you think I am, Dean?"

Dean gave Casey a pointed look but both his siblings could tell that he was amused by her theatrics. "My sister."

Casey took a moment to think that over. "Good point." Sam laughed while Dean just smirked before directing his attention to his brother.

"What about you Sam? Think you can handle it?" Dean challenged as the trio made their way towards the bar.

"I can handle it a lot better than you Dean." Sam confidently stated knowing that his brother would have a hard time with the rule tonight.

Dean scoffed. "We'll see."

Casey paused in her tracks once she was off the road. "Hang on…" Sam and Dean stopped in their tracks and looked behind them. "We can still have fun with dates right? Or am I seriously stuck with you guys because I know for a fact that you won't want to dance." Casey continued causing Sam to shake his head and for Dean to snicker to himself.

"Relax Case. We enter with just us three; we leave with just us three." Sam confirmed getting an understanding nod from Casey.

"Fine, as lame as it is, I'll go with it." Dean didn't like this rule one bit and both of his siblings knew it. _I am definitely a hypocrite._ Dean smirked at the thought. _At least I had my fun last night, that's gonna have to do for now._

Casey smiled as she quickly walked to catch up to her brothers. "Excellent, let the partying begin boys." She stated as she rushed past them, thrilled to have some real fun; Winchester style.

"Oh no, what have we done Sam?" Dean said in mock horror as he saw his sister's excitement.

"Quick, grab her and let's get out of here." Sam suggested as he played along with his brother. Casey laughed before turning around to face her smiling brothers, who continued to walk towards her as she waited by the entrance. _It's good to have them back. _She mused to herself.

"Guys relax. Like you keep telling me, have fun. There's nothing stopping us now." Casey finished as Sam opened the door for her. Casey walked right in, followed by Sam with Dean taking up the rear.

"In that case, let the fun begin." Sam quipped as he stood by Casey as she took the crowded place in.

Dean walked up to stand on Casey's free side. "To the bar!" Dean smirked as his younger siblings laughed as they headed toward the crowded bar.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

Dean was leading his siblings to the bar while a distracted Casey was taking in the bar's surroundings with Sam behind her (as he made sure she didn't get lost in the crowd). It wasn't like Casey had never been inside a bar before but it was the fact that it had been too damn long for her. Growing up, the Winchesters were either seen at motels, diners or bars if they weren't researching for a hunt. She remembered one of her favorite past times being the time when their father was teaching them how to play pool. Naturally John was focused on teaching Dean first since he would be old enough to understand it better but Dean would pass along his lessons to Sam and Casey before John got around to teaching the other two how to play. Plus pool for the Winchesters could always be for work or for play; it could go either way.

Casey was too caught up in her memory to notice the nudge in her back but after a few times, she turned to face her brother. "What?"

Sam smirked at his sister. He noticed her demeanor had changed while they followed Dean and when he tried getting her attention, she didn't budge until after the third or forth nudge in her back. "You okay? Your attention seemed to be somewhere else just now."

Casey smiled. "I'm great." She beamed before turning around to find Dean already sitting at the bar, watching and waiting for them to join him. Sam chuckled to himself as he saw Casey practically rush over to Dean.

Dean chuckled to himself at his sister's excitement. He definitely missed having her around. She would bring excitement to practically anything she wanted and it would be like a contagious reaction. When his sister was finally in ear shot, Dean greeted her once again. "Took you long enough." He joked as Casey took the bar stool right beside him. "I saw the faraway look, care to share?"

Casey smirked. "Nope."

Dean scoffed. "It better not be about lover boy." He quipped causing Casey to laugh while Sam finally took a seat on Casey's other side.

"Not that time." Dean groaned while holding a hand up to tell her to stop any future comment. Casey rolled her eyes.

Sam looked confusingly between his siblings. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing Sammy." Dean told his little brother hoping to spare him of any details before signaling a bartender over to them. Don't get him wrong, Dean wasn't against Casey's feelings towards a certain teenager, it's just he wasn't use to those comments coming from his baby sister. _That has definitely changed in the past four years. _

A few moments later a guy who seemed to be a year or two older than Casey with short blonde hair approached the Winchesters. "Welcome to _Hunter's Bar and Grill_. What can I get for you tonight?" He greeted while looking between the three Winchesters, his eyes lingering on Casey a little longer. Casey smiled while Sam smirked when he caught his brother giving the bartender a subtle death glare.

Dean cleared his throat, catching the bartender's attention before he ordered three tequila shots. The bartender looked skeptically towards Casey. "I hate to ask but do you have some ID?" Casey expected this so she rummaged through her leather coat's inside pockets for her driver's license.

"Dude why do you seem disappointed when you asked her that?" Dean questioned while she got her ID out of her coat.

The bartender sighed. "A lot of teenagers tonight are trying to get drinks and think just because it's another graduation night that we'll let it slide, I've had to ask the question a lot tonight."

"Can't have drunk teenagers taking over this fine establishment now can we." Dean mused loudly as Casey passed the bartender her driver's license. He gave a chuckle to the older Winchester's comment before reading over the youngest Winchester's license but his eyes seem to freeze on one bit of information and the awaiting trio tensed when they saw it.

"Is something wrong?" Casey nervously asked. _There shouldn't be a problem; all the info on there is accurate. _She thought worriedly.

"No, it's just…" The confused bartender didn't get to finish as he caught sight of an older man walking towards him with a questioning look at the young bartender. The Winchesters looked between one another and they seemed to have the same thought about the older man. _Boss. _

"Is everything okay here?" The older man questioned the bartender who continued to stare at Casey's license.

"Yeah, huh, could you just take a look at this?" The young man hesitantly passed the driver's license over towards his boss causing all the Winchesters to become worried.

The Boss Man took a quick glance at the ID before handing it back to his employee looking annoyed. "She's of age, so what's the problem?"

The younger man didn't take the license back but he looked his boss directly in the eye. "Did you check the name?" He suggested causing the older man to roll his eyes before doing what his employee suggested. After a few moments, the Boss' eyes froze just like the bartender's had before his eyebrow quirked up as if he was collecting his thoughts.

The eldest Winchester didn't like the exchange between the boss and his employee when it came to his little sister's ID. "Casey?" He whispered to his sister hoping she'd give him a hint as to whether she knew why they were so interested in her license. _She didn't lie about her age, the Boss already confirmed that, unless…_

The Boss Man made eye contact with the graduate. "Winchester?" The Boss Man didn't see the brothers' eyes widen but he did hear the groan that came from Dean when he dropped his head in his hands while his elbows rested on the bar. _Damn it!_

Casey gulped. "Yeah." She didn't understand why these two were so interested in her last name the way they were. She had a sinking feeling that maybe it was her name that caught their attention since as far as London, Ontario was concerned, she was _Casey McDonald_.

The Boss Man's eyebrow was still quirked up but now he had a small smirk showing. "As in John Winchester?"

Dean's head snapped up to look at the Boss Man in shock while both Sam and Casey's jaws fell slack.

"How do you know our dad?" Sam finally asked after a few moments of shocked silence from the Winchesters.

* * *

From the moment that Derek set his eyes on the familiar brunette that entered the bar, he was both shocked and furious. Shocked that his keener stepsister would be at a bar and furious for the fact that the Winchesters would bring her to a place like this. They practically told Nora that her daughter would be in good hands yet here they are. He just couldn't believe it.

He watched as his stepsister laughed with the tallest Winchester while they both followed the older Winchester to the bar. He could see Casey looking around, probably seeing the new environment that he knew she's never stepped foot in while he caught Sam Winchester trying to nudge for her attention. He could see the smile before she seemed to rush over towards Dean Winchester, who was seated at the bar waiting.

Derek took a sip of his drink as he grumbled about his luck. He figured he'd see Casey at the grad party so he was hoping for a few hours away from her so he didn't have to see the tears that were expected to come. _Stupid graduation sentiments. _

Ralph's gaze continued to follow the new customers to the bar. "Dude, was that…"

Derek nodded his head before taking another sip of his drink. "Yup."

Ralph whistled. "Hell D, your stepsister is looking-"

"Different?" Sam offered but he had a pretty good idea which word Ralph was going to say. _Hot._

Ralph smirked when he looked towards his friends. "Not the word that I was gonna use but yeah!" He finished with a 'duh' tone. He may still have Amanda as a girlfriend but it wasn't everyday you saw one of your friends dressing differently than they normally would; that's just asking for a reaction.

Derek groaned. "Great, I can't believe she's even here." He complained. He had caught a couple of guys' heads turn when Casey walked in and he wasn't having a good feeling about it.

Sam saw his best friend's irritation. "Maybe she just wants to celebrate." He suggested while he tried to get a view of his good friend/ex-girlfriend from the bar. _Please let that be the reason. _He pleaded in his mind. Sure, he cared for Casey but that's what friends do, they watch out and care for one another but Sam had a feeling deep down that _that_ wasn't the reason why his best friend was irritated all of a sudden.

Derek looked to Sam as he quirked an eyebrow. "With alcohol? Are you forgetting this is my keener stepsister we're talking about? She doesn't go near the stuff."

"It's not like she's gonna have any luck here." Ralph mumbled before taking a sip of his pop. That got Derek and Sam's attention.

"What'd you mean?" Sam asked in confusion, wondering what his friend knew that they didn't.

Ralph sighed wondering how he was the first to think of this. Ralph turned to Derek. "You're older Derek and if you can't get a drink…"

Derek smirked once he caught on. "She can't get a drink."

"Then why would she waste her time? This isn't her type of scene." Sam mused out loud even though it was exactly what they were doing but they liked coming to the bar and grill, they were use to it; Casey on the other hand, hadn't stepped anywhere near a place like this.

"Try her luck maybe…" Derek spoke before he found his stepsister again at the bar reaching into her leather jacket to retrieve her ID for the bartender who couldn't stop smiling at her.

The three graduates watched their valedictorian give her ID to the bartender only to see him moments later tensing up and looking between the plastic card and the girl in question before an older guy came up to join them. They watched the little scene with no clue what they were saying but they saw the young bartender hand Casey's ID over to the older man. The older man had paused just like his employee and he must have said something because the boys could see from their seats that Casey and both Winchesters had tensed in their seat.

Derek smirked. "I think she got busted." He said in a sing-song voice.

Ralph tilted his head to the side as he watched the bar from his seat. "Then why is the old guy laughing?"

* * *

"No way…" The Boss Man said in disbelief as looked over his three new customers. "…damn you kids grew up!" He chuckled about how long it has been since that unfortunate time in his life. _Seems like another lifetime ago, sometimes. _

Dean looked to his younger siblings who just shrugged in confusion before he looked to the older man. "Beg pardon?"**  
**

Boss Man smirked as the Winchesters saw a glassy look in the man's eye. "First time I saw John Winchester, his son was a senior and his two youngsters were rivaling in height." He laughed at the memory while the young bartender shook his head in amusement at his boss' description. He remembered the teenage boy protecting his younger siblings whenever they were together and if they had to be separated, he would tell the little boy to watch out for their little sister while she held her grip around his leg, telling him not to go yet, that it wasn't his time to leave them yet. He thought the dynamic between the siblings was amazing and he had a feeling that their dynamic only strengthened with time.

Dean chuckled at the last comment as he pictured him and his siblings like Boss Man had described. _Damn, has it been that long already?_ "Dude, that was six years ago, now I don't think anybody could rival against Sammy's height." Casey was smiling while she stifled her laugh while Sam was smirking when he remembered the brief time when Casey was taller than him.

Sam cleared his throat. "But how do you know our dad?"

Boss Man sobered up from the laugh as he looked to each Winchester, he had a slight idea which brother was who but then again, he was getting old, so enough said. "We use to live in Michigan, we had a _wolf_ problem in town and unfortunately it got my wife."

Casey remembered that hunt. She was twelve when there was a werewolf problem in Michigan. She only remembered because a couple months later, Sam had to write a paper about his summer for school and he wrote about the werewolf that they had hunted, fortunately Sam didn't get penalized for writing a _fiction_ piece when it was a _nonfiction _assignment. "I'm sorry again." She gave her condolences to Boss Man.

Boss Man gave a sad smile and it appeared that the young bartender bowed his head down in sympathy. "It's not your fault, she was infected and going after the rest of the people that I love." He sighed and that's when the Winchester siblings looked between each other and they could tell that they all remembered which hunt he was victim to now; wife turned werewolf goes after family to get them to turn with her. "I understood then, I understand now." He concluded which got Casey to sigh. Even though she loved that she was able to help people, it was tough knowing that there are families out there that have been victimized like them; they just chose to fight back.

"So when did you move here then?" Sam gently asked.

Boss Man placed the plastic card down behind the counter before he poured himself a quick drink. He quickly gulped it down allowing a hiss to escape through his teeth, causing Dean to quirk an eyebrow at the action. "About a month or two afterwards, couldn't really stay there, you know." The Winchesters just nodded in understanding. A few moments later, Boss Man's demeanor changed from a mourning husband to an upbeat head bartender. "Anyways, I'm Charlie Galloway, owner of this fine establishment…"

Dean interrupted with a smile on his face. "And it's a fine establishment indeed."

Charlie aka Boss Man smirked at the compliment. "Thanks and this is my son Brandon…" Charlie pointed to the young bartender that had originally asked for Casey's ID and he just gave a slight wave as he stood behind his father, yet close enough to hear the conversation. "…my daughter Miranda is around here somewhere." Charlie continued as he looked along the sides to see if he could see his oldest child.

Brandon aka young bartender shook his head in amusement. "She's on break Dad."

Charlie sighed. "Right." He always forgot that his daughter took breaks without him knowing, she usually told Brandon just so that her father/boss couldn't stop her from taking her break when she wanted. She was a great employee, always staying for longer shifts but it meant she took mini breaks whenever she wanted.

Dean chuckled. "It's good to meet you…again. I'm Dean Winchester. That's my brother Sam…" Dean pointed to Sam who gave a polite nod when acknowledged. "…and my sister Casey." Casey beamed a smile when she was acknowledged causing Brandon to smile, which Dean noticed.

Charlie smiled when he looked at the youngest Winchester. "Of course." _Dean, Sam and Casey Winchester; wonder where their father is._

Casey gave a shy smile towards the owner. "Any chance I could get my license back?" Dean's slight tension defused with his sister's words causing him to laugh.

Charlie reached behind the counter where he placed the plastic card and handed it to teenager. "Right, here…I still can't believe how much the three of you have grown." He mused out loud before turning around to look at his son. "Brandon, get them their original order while I chat with our old pals."

Brandon smirked at his father before turning to their past saviors. "Sure, three tequila shots?" Brandon questioned getting three nods in agreement before he left to retrieve the requested drinks.

Charlie turned back around to face the Winchesters. "So what brings you folks up this far?"

Sam scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "Well Mr. Galloway-"

"Please, call me Charlie." The owner cut the middle Winchester off. Sam nodded in understanding while Dean looked at his brother curiously due to his odd behavior.

Dean took over for Sam. "Well Charlie, Casey graduated today so Sam and I drove up here to celebrate with her." Dean slung an arm around Casey as he pulled her into a tight side hug, showing that he was proud of his little sister. Casey continued to smile as her oldest brother hugged her. _I missed these moments. _She mused to herself.

Brandon returned with their shots and sees his father grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Well that is definitely a reason to celebrate." Brandon was confused but he didn't mention it as he placed the tequila shots in front of the Winchesters (mainly Casey). She smiled as thanks since Charlie wasn't done talking as he turned to his son. "Brandon, the Winchesters' drinks for the night…are on the house." Brandon nodded in agreement.

All the Winchesters' eyes widened. "What?" The trio questioned simultaneously.

"That's very kind of you Charlie but we can't…" Casey stuttered a bit, still in a slight shock from the generous offer the older man made. Sam and Dean were flabbergasted, they've never gotten that kind of acknowledgment from an old case before, usually if there was a 'thank you' involved, it was given before the hunters left town with the knowledge of never running into those they helped again. This was a new thing for all three of them.

Charlie waved his hand as if the offer was nothing. "Course you can. If it weren't for your family, my family may not even be here today." He paused as he tried to figure out what to say to have them accept his offer. "Think of it as a thank you."

Sam's mouth kept opening and closing without a sound until something finally came out. "Wow, that's very generous of you Charlie."

Charlie shrugged. "It's nothing compared to what your family does…" Charlie turned down to view the far end of the bar where he had heard one of his other bartenders' calling for him. "…I better get back, don't leave without saying goodbye now." Charlie tapped the bar's counter top before he moved to assist his other employee.

"We won't, thanks Charlie!" Casey beamed, showing obvious appreciation in her voice. Charlie looked back and nodded before whispering something to Brandon before he headed to the other end of the bar.

"I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting that." Dean voiced as he dragged one of the tequila shots closer to him.

"I think none of us were." Sam responded while he followed his brother's action.

Casey looked to Brandon who still stood before the Winchesters. "That's why you reacted the way you did to my name."

Brandon nodded. "I was old enough to remember what happened but my Dad always made sure that my sister and I never forgot the name of the family that saved us." He chuckled a bit before he continued. "I never thought I'd see the name again so it caught me off guard."

Dean chuckled. "Now that's another first, our name is usually feared."

Casey smirked at Dean. "A little dramatic don't you think?"

Dean gave his sister a serious look. "Nope."

Sam cleared his throat, hoping to defuse the anxiety between his siblings, while Brandon tried to mind his own business by wiping some of the empty glasses dry from the bar. "How about a toast for these shots?"

Dean gave his brother a 'what the hell' look causing Sam to shrug but it was Casey who spoke. "Yeah, these would be the first drinks that we have together."

Dean shook his head in disagreement as he remembered that one time when he was twenty-one and he got Casey and Sam to share a beer with him at the motel. "Not really." He quipped.

His sister turned to glare at him for being difficult. "In a bar, yes." She gritted through her teeth causing Dean to smirk.

"Technicalities." Dean waved it off nonchalantly.

Casey huffed. "So? I wanna do it." She glared at her oldest brother and after seeing him roll his eyes she turned to Sam who had an amused expression on his face. "We each pick one and we drink for all three with these shots." She glanced at her own tequila shot before her.

Dean groaned. "You got lamer while you've been away, haven't you?" The two younger Winchesters glared at their older sibling. Dean put his hands up to surrender, not really in the mood to fight with them yet he didn't want to do the whole emotions bit. "Fine, how's this for a toast; freedom. We have nothing to hold us back now." Casey smiled at Dean for his cooperation causing him to grin. _Only for my baby sister. _He thought to himself as he then followed Casey's gaze and looked to Sam.

Sam smiled. "How about family; we've been scattered across the country and now we're together again." Casey's smile got wider.

Dean groaned again. "Can you get any sappier _Samantha_?" He quipped causing Sam to scoff at the old joke of a nickname.

Casey lightly punched Dean in the arm causing him to laugh. "Can it Dean and I agree with both." She looked between both her brothers before she continued. "And for the last one, how about to the future; we continue with the family business and avenge Mom while trying to live life to it's fullest as much as we can." She finished as she held her tequila shot in the air.

"To the three 'F's then." Sam added as he raised his own shot glass to align with Casey's.

Casey laughed. "Never thought I'd be toasting to that letter grade." Dean snickered as he raised his shot glass.

"Bottoms up." Dean stated causing all three Winchesters to clink their glasses together before they brought their shot glasses to their lips as they gulped down the tequila at the same time before simultaneously placing the glass back on the bar counter. Both Dean and Sam let out a breath while Casey let a small hiss escape as the unfamiliar liquid slid down her throat. Dean saw her reaction. "You good?" Casey nodded yes before he continued. "What's next then?"

Casey smirked as she looked up at the young bartender. "Brandon, how about a round of scotch this time?"

* * *

Since none of the boys could see any of their faces, they could only go off of the two bartenders' expression to see how the confrontation was going. Sometimes they would get a glimpse of Sam Winchester's face but they tended to duck out of the way just in case he spotted them.

The trio were curious as to why the older bartender would be chuckling; for as long as they have been there, he's only friendly like that to his favorite regulars but tonight, Casey and the Winchesters were getting that special treatment. _Why is that?_

Ralph questioned while still watching the bar. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "No clue." On the other hand, Sam's attention was diverted to his vibrating cell phone.

"Check it out, the younger guy's leaving." Ralph pointed out as the blonde bartender that was smiling at Casey earlier headed towards the other end of the bar.

"I guess the older one wanted to serve _them_." Derek sneered as if the possibility of them getting served bothered him. _It shouldn't matter, Sam and Dean are obviously old enough to have drinks but why am I acting bitter towards the idea? _Derek mused to himself before a name popped into his mind. _Casey. _

"What'd I miss?" Sam piped up after pocketing his phone and looking between his friends.

Derek snapped out of his thoughts before he thought too much into his reaction. "Just a switch in service. Aren't you watching?" He questioned as he turned to Sam.

Sam shrugged. "Got a text."

"From?" Derek pressed on the subject.

"The T.O. group. They'll be here in a few minutes." Sam explained as he turned his attention back to the bar as he grabbed his class to take a sip of his pop.

Derek did a double take. "Wait, they're coming here?"

Sam quirked his eyebrow at his best friend. "Yeah D, you blew them off when you went down there for that party but you never met up with them after dropping Casey off. Besides we hung out when they graduated now they're just returning the gesture."

Derek remembered. He was supposed to drive Casey and Vicky to that party down in Toronto before meeting up with some of his hockey buddies. He never planned on staying for the party but that blonde girl had convinced him plus that whole situation with Casey and Truman. Derek groaned at the memory. "I don't need a lecture about ditching."

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "Wasn't gonna give you one. It was a good thing you didn't go, otherwise who knows what Casey would have done to get home."

"Don't wanna think about that either but they're gonna be pissed when they see me." Derek voiced as he finished off his pop. After what happened between Casey and Truman, Derek was kind of glad that he never went to see his hockey buddies because he wasn't sure what Casey would have done in her state of mind if he wasn't there. _Vicky definitely would have been __**no**__ help. _He thought to himself.

Sam sighed. Over the past few years it has been tough meeting up with their Toronto hockey buddies due to school. Most of their friends from Toronto are a year older so last year they had to deal with university applications and this year was their freshman year so everyone understood that it wasn't so easy driving between London and Toronto whenever they wanted to hang out or have a pick up game of hockey. "No they won't, told them you had a family emergency."

Derek tilted his head to the side, not believing that his older friends accepted that as an answer. "That's it?"

Sam nodded his head up and down. "Yeah, they'll probably ask more about it when they get here but yeah, just say you're sister needed your help." He finished as he took a couple more sips from his pop.

"Step-sister." Derek replied instinctively.

"Same difference." Sam replied automatically

Derek groaned. "No it's not." He couldn't believe that his best friend would say something like that; he knew how much those four little letters mattered. It represented the fact that he was in no way related to Casey and why would he want to be? He was cool, she wasn't and it would be impossible to even see them being blood related with how opposite they were from each other. That explanation had been brought up multiple times in the past by both parties involved but for some reason lately, Derek had this sinking feeling that those four little letters stood for a lot more; he just wasn't sure what it meant exactly.

Before Sam could question Derek's reaction, Ralph interrupted them. "Guys, he's back and it seems like the older guy just told Casey some shocking news."

Sam and Derek looked to the bar and saw the young bartender had returned and they could see that Sam Winchester had a flabbergasted look on his face. Ralph had seen earlier the side hug that Dean had given Casey but his friends didn't notice so he wasn't going to mention it.

"How can you tell?" Sam questioned as he looked back to his observant friend. Sometimes Ralph surprised him with his observant and insightful moments and then other times it's like the guy couldn't come up with a smart idea; most of the time, Sam just wondered how both sides belonged to the same person.

Ralph smirked. "I'm pretty sure she's the one I heard screaming '_what'_ moments ago." He explained as he did a little mimic moment when he quoted what he heard.

Derek was disappointed that he missed that but he made a point not to miss anything else. They watched as the older man left the young bartender with Casey and the Winchesters. They still couldn't hear anything due to the establishment's crowd and sound system (Derek even wondered how loud Casey must have been earlier for Ralph to hear her) but Derek's eyes widened when he saw Casey and the Winchesters holding up shot glasses in their hands, as if making a toast.

The jaws of the three graduates dropped to the floor when they saw Casey drink the liquid in the small glass in the same fashion as the Winchester brothers. To say they were shocked was an understatement since they had just witnessed Casey having her first taste of alcohol in a place where Derek, the eldest of their trio, couldn't even get himself a beer.

"That must have been some ID she gave them." Ralph mused out loud as Derek groaned while placing his head in his hands. _Could this night get any weirder?_

The shocked trio were knocked out of their stupors when four guys approached their table with grins on their faces as they looked between the table's occupants and each other.

"Dudes, what's with the long faces?" The leader of the four guys spoke as he looked to Derek. The grumbling Venturi finally looked up to see his visitors to come face to face with his older hockey pals from Toronto.

Derek waved his hand as if it were nothing. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Oh, c'mon Derek. When you say stuff like that, _that_ just peaks our interest even more." The leader quipped.

Derek chuckled. "I see university hasn't changed you one bit Devon."

The leader smirked. "Why should it? It's just another challenge to overcome." Devon McCloud stated as he quirked his eyebrow in a challenging manner to Derek. Devon McCloud became friends with Derek and Sam when they joined the same community hockey league when they were kids. Whenever Derek went to Toronto with his mom, she usually dropped him off with Devon for the day so they'd hang out at the arcade or at the ice rink. Even with Devon being a year older, he was still friends with Derek and Sam.

Derek nodded his head. "True."

"So how was the grad ceremony?" Devon questioned as he looked between the three new high school graduates.

"Yeah, did you pull your final senior prank?" Tyler Jacobs, another guy from the Toronto group, piped in.

Derek scoffed as if the question was ridiculous. "Of course."

"What was it?" Carter Wilson questioned as his curiosity was evident.

Derek smirked at the recent memory of his senior prank. "My grand entrance into the ceremony, just when they called me to get my diploma." He gave a mischievous grin while his hockey buddies gave a light laugh.

"Nothing sooner?" Alex Johnston, the final hockey bud questioned.

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "Wasn't allowed to do it sooner." While Derek was answering the questions, Sam tried looking around for any nearby vacant chairs for their friends while Ralph still watched Casey and the Winchesters drinking something new; possible scotch from what Ralph could tell from the far distance between them.

Tyler tilted his head to the side, wondering what would have caused his friend to rethink his prank timing. "Why not? Usually nothing stops you with your pranks." He stated while he got agreeable nods from the rest of his roommates.

Derek fidgeted with his empty glass, wishing he still had a few more drops left to consume at the moment. "Dad warned me not to screw up the valedictorian's speech."

"Why would that matter?" Carter asked before he grabbed an empty chair and took a seat in it.

"It wouldn't if the valedictorian was anyone else and not my stepsister." Derek was annoyed with all the questions but he understood it, he hadn't seen these guys in a long time and meeting up always got harder with conflicting schedules.

Devon quirked an eyebrow as he vaguely remembered a message he got from Sam. "Same stepsister that you bailed out of trouble instead of hanging out with us when you said you were coming into town?" He questioned causing Derek's head to whip around and glare at Sam.

"I thought you said you didn't say anything about it?" Derek asked in an angry tone. For some reason, Derek didn't like talking about Casey to his Toronto hockey friends. _It's because they would ask all these questions about her that I'd rather not answer_. He pondered to himself.

Sam shrugged his shoulders but he was unfazed by Derek's tone; he kind of expected it. "I didn't, I just said that she was the reason for the 'emergency' and why you didn't hang out with them."

"What was the emergency?" Alex quipped since he wondered what would have caused Derek to back out of their plans as well as the origin for his sudden anger. Alex quickly found a vacant chair and planted himself in it, leaving Tyler and Devon left standing.

Derek sighed. "She caught her boyfriend cheating with her cousin so she ended the night early and I was her ride home."

A couple of hisses and a few whistles were released from the university students. "Ouch, that sucks." Carter sympathized to both Derek having to cut his night short and for the stepsister having a cheating boyfriend. _Not right. _Carter mused to himself since he always believed in treated girls with the up-most respect.

Derek groaned in agreement. "Tell me about it, she ruined my night with this blonde chick." He complained as he silently added to himself that he was pissed off at what Truman did to Casey.

"Derek." Sam reprimanded his best friend; he couldn't believe _that_ was why he thought the situation sucked. _What about what happened with Casey and Truman?_, was the question Derek could see in Sam's eyes when he glared at the oldest Venturi.

"What?" Derek asked innocently while being oblivious to the fact that a certain Winchester spotted him and his friends.

"So guys, how was freshman year?" Ralph piped in before Sam went into lecture mode on how Derek should care more about what Casey had to go through and not on his shortened date with a blonde girl he just met that night.

Alex smirked at Ralph, knowing that the guy was trying to prevent a situation from happening so he went along with it. "Well they throw the best parties…."

"….Kick our asses when they test us but we blow them out of the water every time…." Carter continued off from Alex.

Devon continued the list of benefits of being a university freshman. "….And the victories are even sweeter…" The leader added, referring to their hockey team's victories.

Alex smirked as another benefit popped into his head. "….With the cheerleaders being a lot hotter…." That got a few laughs and smirks from the other guys.

"….Dorm life is practically a party 24/7." Tyler added in.

"Nice." Sam commented, truly impressed with their opinions and unfazed by them finishing each other's sentences; something he had noticed between the four guys a few months after meeting them years ago.

"Aren't dorms cramped?" Ralph questioned as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Our dorm's apartment style." Devon stated as if it explained everything.

"Meaning?" Derek questioned not really knowing what that meant since he hadn't looked at his dorm options at Queens yet.

"It's like living in an apartment in the city except that we're still in the dorm buildings with the other guys yet we get our own rooms, a mini kitchen, a place to hang, …" Devon explained their basic living arrangements but he was interrupted by a smirking Alex.

"And privacy when we have our dates over for some _fun_." Alex wished with a hint of a suggestive tone before Devon smacked the back of Alex's head for the comment. Alex was like the worst player out of the four of them. Having a girlfriend was not an option when Alex was involved.

Derek smirked, liking the idea of university more and more. "Sounds like a sweet set up you guys got."

Tyler nodded in agreement as he grabbed the next vacant seat near the table. "Yes indeed now what was with all the shocked looks you boys had when we walked in?"

"Caught my stepsister drinking." Derek replied as vaguely as possible and everyone could tell.

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "So?"

Derek was irritated now as he thought about what he'd say next. "I'm older yet she's the one that gets to drink in this place." He grimaced.

"Ahh, you just need better IDs." Carter quipped.

"Tell me about it." Derek grumbled.

Devon clapped his hands together. "Speaking of drinks, I'm gonna get us some." Devon turned to his roommates with his hand held out as he waited for Tyler, Alex and Carter to get out their IDs for Devon to take with him. Once the plastic cards were in the leader's hands, he looked between the three of them. "The usual?" The three guys nodded in agreement before Devon took off towards the bar.

As Ralph watched Devon reach the bar, he moved his gaze towards where he last saw Casey and the Winchesters. Now he only saw Casey talking to the young blonde bartender while she took small sips from her newly acquired drink. _Where are Sam and Dean?_ He silently asked himself.

"So why haven't we heard much about this stepsister of yours Derek?" Tyler questioned as he looked to Derek.

Derek shrugged, not really wanting to talk about Casey since he wanted a few hours that were Casey-free before the grad party. "There's nothing much to tell."

Carter scoffed. "Well from what I gathered in the past few minutes, she's your valedictorian, has a cheating ex-boyfriend….wait, she was smart enough to ditch the guy right?" Carter listed before he questioned Derek, who gave him a nod of agreement before he continued. "Good, and she knows where to get a decent ID to get herself drunk."

"Besides, when did you get a stepsister?" Alex retorted since the group wasn't even aware that Derek had a stepsister until Sam told them of Derek's reason for bailing on them a couple of weeks ago.

"The summer before sophomore year." Derek replied instantly as he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders again.

Tyler's eyes widened. "That was three years ago! Why didn't you mention anything?" The university students thought that Derek had just recent acquired a stepsister, not that he's had one for the past three years.

Derek glanced between Tyler, Alex and Carter with an emotionless expression on his face. "Nothing much to say except she's the complete opposite of me and we hate each other."

"You guys don't hate each other. You just fight…a lot." Sam piped in as he set the record straight.

Derek groaned. "Fine, we barely tolerate each other." Derek stated since he didn't want to publicly admit that him and Casey had gotten along much better during their senior year.

"Do we get a name?" Carter genuinely asked with curiosity in his voice.

Derek sighed. "Her name's Casey."

Tyler's brow furrowed in thought. "Didn't we know a girl name Casey?" The name seemed very familiar to him but he just couldn't place it in his mind.

Alex shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? It's hard keeping track of girls' names." He finished with a cocky grin as his conquests all flashed through his mind.

Carter groaned, completely irritated on how easily Alex's mind could go to the gutter so quickly. "You're unbelievable, you know that."

"Why thank you, it's so nice for you to notice." Sarcasm was laced in Alex's voice, mischief obviously seen in his eyes.

Tyler glared at his joker of a friend. "Cut it out Alex."

"What?" Alex stated innocently but the mischief was still evident in his eyes. Derek snickered. Alex was an even bigger player than Derek so he found the scene before him quite amusing.

"I know your track record with girls but I think the name rings a bell before we graduated." Tyler explained to Alex, who had rolled his eyes, before turning to his other roommate. "What'd you think Carter?"

Carter's brow furrowed as he thought the name over. _It does sound familiar but where have I heard it before? _"Name seems familiar but I can't place it."

"Maybe Devon knows." Ralph piped in after catching a sight at the bar that made his eyes widen from shock. _I swear this night is just full of surprises. _

"What makes you say that?" Sam questioned with confusion in his voice since he noticed Ralph's demeanor change slightly.

Ralph gulped a little before he subtly pointed towards the bar. "See for yourself."

Ralph's reply caused the five guys to whirl their heads around to follow where he was pointing. Mixed emotions were obvious among the group as they all laid their eyes on their mutual friend, Devon McCloud, kissing a brunette girl; a girl the three graduates recognized as Casey McDonald.

**

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Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine.

The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Miranda and Brandon (blonde hair, a year or two older than Casey)

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson _[more about them next chapter]_

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A/N #4: **So what do you guys think? I know it's not as long but I wanted to finish it off where I did...what do you think of this chapter's ending? What do you think of the Galloways or the T.O. Hockey Buds? Don't worry, I have tons planned for those university boys who are only in London for one night **;D**

**A/N #5: **I hope when it came to the Winchesters, I kept them in-character but it has been awhile seen I've seen them so carefree and not worrying about the world ending. How was Casey in this? Does she seem more like a Winchester? I hope I sparked some questions in your mind when it comes to Casey (even with Derek, Sam R. and Ralph too). Tell me what you think?

**A/N #6: **Alright, as always, **PLEASE REVIEW! **Tell me what you thought about the chapter, the characters or the story in general. I would love to hear your thoughts and what you predict to happen in the future. Tell me what you think about the new _Supernatural _episodes (even _Vampire Diaries_ too...Team DAMON!) **Reviews are always welcome and I thank you again for sticking around and reading my story. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! *smiles like crazy*  
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**A/N #7: **Also if you haven't already, check out the latest outtakes. "Fright Night" gives you an inside look of Casey as a hunter in action...plus I really altered that episode so please check it out and review there too!

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Originally Published: **November 9, 2010

**Edited: **November 27, 2010**  
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	10. Ch 9: When Past Friends Meet the Present

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 9: When Past Friends Meet the Present**

**A/N #1:** Alright readers, I just wanted to apologize for the delay but it's been pretty hectic. I just finished my last round of midterms and now I have two final exams to worry about before I'm free to write as often as I want before school starts up again in January (bummer). But thankfully, I had the first part of this chapter written immediately after I wrote the previous chapter, it's just Derek's part that I whipped up together yesterday.

**A/N #2: **So I just wanted to say **thank you to all my readers and reviewers** for this story! **_Ch. 8 received the most reviews so far for this story and that fact alone made me ecstatic!_** You guys rock and it means the world to me knowing that there are people out there who are just as interested in this story as I am (and it's definitely more motivating to write a concrete storyline instead of having all the moments jumbled in my mind). **So thank you so much guys! It means the world to me! =D **

_(Also thanks to the anonymous reviewers. I couldn't thank you personally but I'm thanking you now and I hope you enjoy the new chapter) _**  
**

**A/N #3: **Seems like we are coming to the final episodes for the fall semester this week and it's both exciting and nerve-wrecking (we practically have to wait a little over a month for new episodes *pouts*). What did you guys think of _Supernatural_'s "Caged Heat"? For this episode only, I think I enjoyed the Winchesters/Angel/Demon tag team; it was very entertaining and amusing. What did you all think?

**A/N #4: **On the topic of my six original characters (disclaimer #2), I've created wallpaper-like profiles for them that have been linked to my _LiveJournal_ account under this story's master list. So if you want to see who I had envisioned for the six characters, please check it out, otherwise the actors are listed at the end of the chapter for you.

**A/N #5:** So I'm going to shut up and remind you all to review this story! I'm almost at 100 reviews and I'll make a special shout-out to that reviewer in the next chapter (if that's a motivator, yippee for me!) Now please, **enjoy the chapter!**

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Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine. The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Brandon and Miranda

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

**

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Truman's Last Chance", "Tuesday Afternoon Fever" and "The Bet" (slightly)

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Hunted" and "The Magnificent Seven"

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Tuesday Afternoon Fever", "Truman's Last Chance," and "Surprise - Part 1"

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NOTE: **I said in the first chapter that Casey got her silver ring for her 18th birthday but I'm changing that as of now so that she got it on her 16th birthday (before moving to London) since I might have mentioned in the "Not So Sweet 16" outtake that she was wearing it (plus it's obvious during the series that Casey was wearing a silver ring).

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**LAST TIME:**

Carter Wilson's brow furrowed as he thought the name over. _It does sound familiar but where have I heard it before? _"Name seems familiar but I can't place."

"Maybe Devon knows." Ralph piped in after catching a sight at the bar that made his eyes widen from shock. _I swear this night is just full of surprises. _

"What makes you say that?" Sam questioned with confusion in his voice since he noticed Ralph's demeanor change slightly.

Ralph gulped a little before he subtly pointed towards the bar. "See for yourself."

Ralph's reply caused the five guys to whirl their heads around to follow where he was pointing. Mixed emotions were obvious among the group as they all laid their eyes on their mutual friend, Devon McCloud, kissing a brunette girl; a girl the three graduates recognized as Casey McDonald.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

_

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[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

Brandon Galloway continued to stay close to the Winchesters as he served them their drinks. The young bartender remembered when he had hung out with the youngest Winchester during their ordeal in Michigan and with everything so tense back then when they first met, he was very glad to learn that the Winchesters were great company. They knew when to have fun and when it was business at the appropriate times. Brandon definitely agreed with his father on their saviors' drinks being on the house for the night, it was the least they could do for the hunters after risking their lives to save strangers from things that we wouldn't have thought of had existed.

"Yo, Brandon." The bartender snapped out of his thoughts when the eldest Winchester called for his attention. "Dude, you okay?"

Brandon nodded his head. "Fine, why?"

Dean quirked his eyebrow, hoping that the young man in front of him wasn't caught up in any thoughts that involved his sister. "I've been asking for a refill on my scotch for the past few minutes." Dean joked a bit while waving his empty glass in the air.

Casey snickered. "Done already Dean?" She questioned before taking a swig of her own scotch.

"Hey, it's not my fault you're slow with the drinks." Dean retorted while Brandon refilled the empty glass with scotch for the oldest Winchester, giving a nod as thanks.

"I'm savoring it." Casey simply stated while Sam took another swig of his own scotch as he watched his siblings' antics.

"You have the whole night to _savor_ your drinks." Dean quipped.

Casey glared her eldest brother but he could see the amusement in her hazel green eyes. "Well I don't want to get drunk too fast."

Dean laughed. "You won't. It takes a while before Sam and I get too intoxicated." Dean paused as he took a swig of his new drink. "Chances are the same applies to you too."

Casey shook her head. "Not gonna risk it."

It was at this point while the oldest and youngest Winchesters bantered, that the middle Winchester caught sight of something across the room. Sam had this weird feeling ever since he walked into the bar that he was being watched and before then, he didn't know what caused it. That was until he saw the group of guys across the grill; the group containing a certain Derek Venturi. Sam smirked to himself. _Wonder what Dean would think about this?_

Dean snickered. "Figures you wouldn't let loose so early into the night."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Oh bite me." She playfully snapped before taking another swig, slowly getting use to the burn the alcohol caused as it slid down her throat.

Dean clicked his tongue against his teeth as he slightly shook his head in disappointment. "Careful who you say that to Baby Girl."

She gave her brother a tilted glare. "Spare me the warning Dean. I can take care of myself in that area."

Before he could reply, Dean noticed his little brother subtly signaling him to let him know that they needed to talk before Sam got up to head towards the bathrooms, after he had finished his own scotch. Dean didn't find it odd since he was use to the signal. Growing up they had created a whole bunch of signals and codes to use with one another, whether acknowledging something 'freaky' in the presence of others or during their hunts over the past few years. _Wonder what he wants? __  
_

Dean downed the rest of his scotch before placing the empty glass towards Brandon, who continued to dry the other empty glasses. "I'm gonna check to see if there's a table free for us." Dean whispered to Casey as he pointed in the direction of the pool tables. "Stay out of trouble." He warned his sister after giving her a kiss on the side of her temple.

"Yes sir." Casey mocked but she still nodded at the slightly commanding yet caring tone her brother had just used. She watched Dean walk towards the pool tables and was about to turn towards Sam but she saw that he was gone too. She sighed before turning back around to face the young bartender. "So Brandon, how's life treating you?"

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

After walking by the area with the pool tables and seeing a few tables still unoccupied, Dean made his way towards the bathrooms to meet up with Sam.

Sam was waiting patiently while he kept an eye on Casey, without her noticing him, as well as keeping tabs on Derek and his friends. "What's up Sammy?" Dean greeted his brother as he took his final stand between Sam's views of both graduates. Sam didn't answer immediately causing Dean's brow to furrow in confusion. _What the hell is running through his mind? _Dean whacked his brother in the arm slightly, which caught Sam's attention. "You've been on edge since we've got here. You alright?" Dean questioned as Sam's glare towards him turned softer once his brother's concern sunk in.

Sam nodded his head before switching his attention between the graduates and his brother. "I felt like someone was watching us."

Dean slightly tensed at the notion but he shrugged it off. "You're paranoid. It's just a couple of girls checking you out, wouldn't know why though." Dean joked hoping to get Sam to lighten up but all that comment got him was an eye rolling brother.

"I'm serious Dean but then I saw who it was and I figured you should have a heads up." Sam explained causing Dean's interest to peak in both amusement and concern.

Dean glared at Sam after a few minutes of silence. "Well who?"

Sam smirked at his impatient brother. "Derek and his friends."

Dean's eyes slightly widened. "Seriously?" Sam nodded yes before directing Dean's gaze to the boy in question. Dean smirked at the sight of a slightly irritated Derek when one of his friends headed towards the bar. "Well looks like I was right."

Sam gave Dean an incredulous look. "What?"

Dean continued to watch Derek and his friends. "I had a feeling he might be here before we stepped foot in this joint." He explained before he turned to face his brother. "So he's been watching us this whole time?"

Sam nodded. "Basically yeah, what do we do?"

Sam could see the mischievous glint in Dean's eyes as all of his previous thoughts came into his mind when Casey first mentioned that Derek frequented at this specific hang out. "We raise a little hell tonight."

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Instead of ordering another scotch when she was done, Casey ordered a glass of water while Brandon told her about his life as a Western student. He was going into his third year in the engineering program while working at the family bar during his semester breaks from school. He lived in an apartment very close to campus with Miranda, his older sister, while she just finished her freshman year in her graduate studies in anthropological studies; she has the job at the bar to fall back on, just like Brandon, while she continued her education.

"I guess life does go on." Casey stated as she took a sip of her water.

Brandon chuckled as he finished drying off another clean glass. "Yup but you already knew that. You did just graduate from high school." Casey nodded her head in agreement. Casey could see the hesitation in the bartender's eyes and she knew he wanted to ask her something.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." Brandon softly stated, trying not to sound rude.

Casey quirked her eyebrow at his shy demeanor but inside she was a little worried about what he wanted to know. "What's that?"

"Your age." He gave a shy smile causing Casey to laugh a little at the simple question. _I was worried for nothing. _She mused to herself.

"Right…" She took sip of her water before she answered. "I started high school a year later than I was supposed to."

Brandon nodded his head as he mulled over the answer. "Makes sense." Casey made an '_hmm_' noise in agreement and before she could say anything, Brandon's attention was diverted to another bartender calling him over for some help.

Brandon looked to the youngest Winchester apologetically, since he didn't want to leave her alone while her brothers were doing something else. "I have to take these, you gonna be okay?"

Casey smiled at Brandon's kind nature. "Go do your job Brandon, I think I can manage being alone for a bit."

"Or I could keep you company." A voice offered just to the right of Casey. Brandon nodded to the newcomer before heading off to help his fellow employee.

"No thanks." Casey declined as she watched Brandon leave while she gulped down the rest of her water, slightly irritated at the fact that she was alone. In the back of her mind, Casey couldn't help but think that something about the newcomer was familiar to her.

The newcomer smirked even though Casey couldn't see it. She could feel his eyes do a quick scan over her body as if he needed a confirmation about who she was before he spoke. "Oh c'mon _Cay_, is that any way to treat your best friend after all this time?" Casey's body quickly tensed when she heard the old nickname but it immediately relaxed when it registered in her mind _who_ used to call her that.

Casey turned around quickly to come face to face with the brown haired, blue eyed teenager from her past. "Devon?"

Devon McCloud smiled once he saw the amazement in his best friend's eyes. "Hi Casey. It's been awhile." He had spotted Casey after he had shown another bartender the four IDs before ordering the four beers for him and his roommates. He was close enough to hear her voice and when the familiarity hit him, he had turned to see the brunette who looked so different yet all the same since the last time he'd seen her. He couldn't believe it. _What were the odds?_

Casey beamed a smile that flashed her perfect teeth before she squealed a little in excitement. "Oh my God! You have no idea, come here!" Casey was instantly out of her seat, her empty glass forgotten, as she pulled Devon down for a bone crushing hug as her arms snaked around his neck, while his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist; just like old times.

Casey pulled back a bit so that she could look up at Devon, who was just a tiny bit shorter than Dean, her arms still around his neck. Devon smirked down at the beautiful girl. "What? That's all I get?" He joked causing a sly smirk to form on the girl's lips.

"You were expecting something more?" She quipped playfully as the amusement was evident in her hazel green eyes.

Devon's grip tightened a bit around her waist as he thought about his response. "If you were single, yeah I was." Casey diverted her eyes from Devon as she chuckled. Devon grinned as he leaned down closer to her ear, so that he was sure she'd hear him. "Your greetings were always the best." Devon didn't have to see Casey's face to know that a slight blush had formed on her cheeks. He gave a slight chuckle at her reaction.

Casey was enjoying the fact she was in Devon's arms again. Memories of their time together floated through her mind as a specific promise buzzed at the back of her mind, remembering what exactly Devon was referring to. They slowly turned to face each other, with their lips only a few centimeters apart. "Then, hello again Devon."

He could feel her breath on his mouth before he could taste the strawberry lip gloss that coated her soft lips as she gave him a gentle kiss. He parted his lips slightly, relishing in the taste of her in his mouth since his memory clearly didn't do her justice. She wanted to keep the kiss soft and gentle but as always, their kisses were always heated up by lust so she couldn't help but have her tongue explore the outline of his mouth, choosing not to go in just yet. Devon, on the other hand, wanted to kiss her like crazy and he could tell that she was teasing him too but he still remembered Casey's rules; even though he was an exception to most of her rules since he became her best friend, he still respected them. _If you wanted a girl as amazing as Casey in your life at all, you do what she says_.

Devon groaned once he felt Casey pull away but she remained close enough that he could rest his forehead on hers; eyes still closed as he locked the memory of that kiss away into his mind, knowing he won't be getting many of those in the future.

"Damn, I missed those." Devon admitted a little out of breath causing Casey to giggle at the comment. Devon couldn't help but smile. _It's been so long since I've heard that. _

The moment was broken when the reunited pair heard someone clear their throat forcefully. Devon's eyes snapped open and he slowly raised his head to see two guys standing a bar stool or two behind Casey with emotionless expressions directed at him.

Casey's eyes snapped open and widened when she heard the sound, having an idea on who it was that was standing behind her. "Shit." She muttered to herself while still in Devon's arms.

"We're gone for what…five minutes and I turn around to find some guy's tongue down your throat Case. Care to explain?" The voice of her oldest brother questioned with a tone that displayed so many different emotions that she couldn't pinpoint which one was dominating at the moment.

Dean had seen Sam's eyes widened earlier and when he turned around and saw what his brother saw, he became furious at the sight of some random teenager kissing his baby sister. _She calls that looking out for herself_? He had mused to himself when he first saw the duo. Both brothers didn't have to say anything to each other to know that they needed to get some answers, so they had calmly stormed through the crowd to get to the couple before they had cut their sister's kissing scene short.

Casey sighed a bit before deciding to tease her way out of this. "It's called kissing bro. Get use to me doing it." She turned in Devon's arms to face both her brothers; one looking amused and another looking pissed off with his arms crossed over his chest.

Dean glared at his sister. "Nope, either start explaining or I'm gonna have to kick someone's ass." He ended off by directing his glare towards the boy that had his arms still wrapped around Casey's waist. _This kid better get his hands off my sister! _

Devon gave a nervous laugh at the scene before him. _She wasn't joking about her brothers. _"You must be Dean."

Both Winchester brothers wore emotionless masks, yet they both were shocked on the inside, as they glared at Devon while trying to intimidate the teenager.

"Who wants to know?" Dean demanded, wondering how this guy knew who he was.

Devon moved his right hand out, hoping to initiate a hand shake from the older man, while the other hand moved to Casey's back. "Devon McCloud, I'm a friend of Casey's from Toronto."

Dean was hesitant before he uncrossed his arms and took Devon's hand in a firm hand shake. "Seemed like you two were more than just _friends_ a moment ago." He stated as he took back his hand and re-crossed his arms. _If he's an ex-boyfriend, oh there will be hell to pay. _The oldest Winchester thought to himself.

"It's…complicated." Devon amended, waiting for Dean to loosen up.

Sam looked between Casey and Devon. "Wait, McCloud?" Sam piped in after wracking his brain around for the kid's name since he had heard it before. His gaze landed on his sister. "As in the same McCloud from your emails?" He continued; getting a nod from his sister for confirmation.

Sam laughed causing his sister to smile and his brother looking at him confused. Sam remembered the emails near the end of their first year apart involving Devon McCloud. There wasn't much since it mostly dealt with Nora dating George but it had mentioned that Devon was there for Casey during the whole deal and he was her confidant the whole time they knew each other. _Devon's the first guy Casey trusted outside of the family. _Sam thought with a smile.

"Care to share Sammy?" Dean commanded impatiently.

Sam gave his brother a questioning look. "You don't remember?"

"Why would I ask if I knew the answer?" Dean sneered as his patience was growing thin.

Sam sighed. "Casey's emails…" He paused to see if Dean remembered anything but when he saw no recognition, he continued. "Near the first year mark, she mainly wrote about Nora dating George and the possibility of a wedding but she mentioned a couple times of a guy who helped her through that…" Sam took another pause but Dean was still glaring at him which basically told his little brother to get to the point. "…a guy named Devon McCloud."

Once Dean heard how Sam knew the teenager's name, he couldn't believe he had forgotten that bit of info from his sister's emails. Practically every boy she mentioned in those emails set off a red flag in his mind automatically. "That was three years ago, how do you still remember that?" The oldest Winchester asked incredulously. He still couldn't believe that Sam made the connection so fast…then again, this was his little brother he was dealing with.

"Sam's great with retaining information, right?" Devon piped in, hoping to get on the brothers' good side.

Sam snapped his attention to the teenager that still held an arm by his sister's back. "How'd you-"

"I remember Casey would talk nonstop about you two when we hung out." Devon explained remembering all the times Casey told him about her brothers and how they were with her and how they were to other people. She always said that she wished that Devon could meet them some day and how it would be a bonus if they all got along with one another.

Dean gave Devon a suspicious look. "Yeah that's another thing; no one was supposed to know about us." He could take that Devon was _friends_ with Casey but that didn't explain how the boy knew that Casey had brothers. Casey was determined to not tell anyone that she had brothers in fear that it would somehow put her or them in danger.

"Devon's different." Casey stated while her right arm was still wrapped around Devon's waist as she gave her oldest brother a glare for being so rude.

Dean quirked an eyebrow in a challenging way to Devon while ignoring the glare that was sent his way. "And why's that?"

Devon looked to Casey. Her eyes softened before she gave him a reassuring nod. He sighed and faced the brothers once again. "My parents were hunters before I was born."

Sam and Dean looked to each other, stunned, before looking to Devon. "Were?" Dean questioned a bit more softly than before, not liking what that wording would imply.

Devon let out a long breath before he said anything. "They gave it up after I was born but they both died when I was young in a car accident but I seriously doubt that." After learning about what his parents used to do before he was born, Devon was convinced that their deaths weren't accidental, but he could never prove it.

"I'm sorry." Sam gave his condolences and Dean nodded along in agreement.

Devon shrugged but he appreciated the sentiment. "It happened a long time ago." He quietly reasoned before he felt Casey's grip around his waist tighten a bit, letting him know that she was still there for him.

It was a few moments of silence between the four before Dean spoke. "Then how'd you find out?"

"My mom's uncle is also a hunter." Devon stated, remembering when he told his great uncle that the car accident didn't seem like an accident to him. It was then that his great uncle told Devon the truth about what it was his parents did before he was born. It took some time but eventually Devon accepted it and learned the hunting basics to protect himself, before he had to move in with his dad's sister and her husband in Toronto.

"Any chance we know him?" Sam joked but curiosity was evident in his voice while it was evident in Dean's eyes.

Both Devon and Casey looked to each other with sly smirks on their faces before they turned to look at the brothers. "Bobby Singer." Casey told her brothers causing their eyes to widen at the news.

"You're kidding." Both brothers simultaneously stated causing Casey to grin. _I missed it when they did that._

Devon chuckled. "Nope."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that." Dean stated, suddenly finding the need to guzzle down a beer.

Casey smiled since it looked like both of her brothers were more shocked than pissed off. "That's why Devon knows everything and why he's my best friend." Casey explained before she hugged Devon tightly around his waist, feeling her charm bracelet dangle on her wrist. The charm bracelet, that Sam had given her before they separated, was the reason her and Devon became best friends.

Casey had met Devon at a New Years Eve party during her freshman year, which was being held by one of the power couples that attended the two private schools. Casey was a little skeptical at first to attending but Lily, a classmate that Casey shared a majority of her classes with, insisted that she go and enjoy the experience. After learning that the party would be just like all the rest except for the countdown, Casey had agreed to go with Lily and her boyfriend Carter (who she later learned was one of Devon's good friends). It was midway through the party when Casey and Devon crossed paths, with both teenagers being their confident and charming selves, making an everlasting impression. They both had felt the instant connection but it wasn't until they shook each other's hands that they knew why they had felt the connection. Devon's eyes had widened when he noticed the charm bracelet on the young brunette's right wrist, a bracelet that held symbols that he memorized from his Uncle Bobby's books. Casey had tensed when she noticed his attention on her wrist but when she looked up at him, she saw an expression that was a mix of awe and shock. Devon had moved them to a more secluded area where he asked if she was a hunter. It was that night that Casey learned that Devon was related to Bobby Singer and it was that night she shared her first New Years kiss with Devon McCloud and started the beautiful friendship she now shared with the guy.

Meeting Devon was like lifting off a weight that was on her shoulder; she had someone she could share everything with, someone outside her family that she could talk about her true family history or about her situation with moving to Toronto or about the possible engagement that had come true. She didn't have to hide anything when it came to Devon and the same went with him to her. He could actually talk about his parents and how he felt about their previous job without people thinking he was crazy. It was refreshing for the both of them. It was Devon who Casey had ended her freshman dating frenzy for.

Devon's arm, that was once rested on the girl's back, slinked around her shoulder as he pulled her into him, giving her a small peck into her hair, as memories of their time together, three years ago, flashed through his mind.

Dean rolled his eyes at the obvious display of affection while Sam smirked at the scene. _At least he seems to care for her, can't be mad about that. _He mused to himself before Casey's previous words ran through his head, as it emphasized on one specific word. Sam gave his sister a questioning look. "Everything?" He asked while Dean shifted his attention between his two younger siblings.

Casey nodded in agreement while Devon spoke. "Pretty much except…" Devon paused before turning his attention to his best friend. Casey could sense Devon's eyes on her so she slowly turned to look up at him. "…you never told me who your new 'stepfamily' was; you never gave me a name." Devon ended off in a playful tone but Casey's brow furrowed in thought.

"I thought I did." She reasoned because she remembered talking about the possible new stepfamily and the complicated lie that went with it.

Devon smirked. "You mentioned the name George a couple of times but that really doesn't narrow it down."

While Devon was mainly talking with Casey, Dean was watching the two closely, trying to get use to seeing his sister so calm and comfortable in a guy's arms, but his mind was nagging at him to get another crucial bit of information. "Hold on, before I'm okay with this…." Dean pointed his finger between Casey and Devon before directing his gaze to a fellow hunter's kin. "…how old are you?"

Devon smirked. "Nineteen. I just finished my freshman year at the University of Toronto." Dean and Sam nodded in approval but for different reasons; Dean was just glad that Devon was the same age as his sister while Sam was impressed with the teenager's university choice, after hearing good things about the school.

Casey gasped as she looked to Devon with wide eyes. "You got in?" He smiled as he nodded causing Casey to give a slight squeal. "Devon that's fantastic!" She rushed out, momentarily forgetting about his question on her pseudo stepfamily, as she gave him another tight hug. She remembered Devon talking about his goal of getting into U of T since it was a great opportunity and it wasn't that far away from his family and friends.

Devon laughed while she pulled out of the hug slightly. "Thanks, my grades were good enough but I mainly went for the hockey scholarship they gave me." He explained but Casey could tell that he was just being modest. _Devon always did have the best of both worlds; athletics and academics. _

Casey smirked. "Of course, free money."

Dean snapped his attention to Devon. "Free money?" Devon nodded causing Dean to look at his sister. "Oh Case, tell me you got some offers like that." He hoped and Casey could see it in her brother's eyes.

Casey giggled a little at her brother's reaction towards free money. "I did but I had to turn them down."

Dean sported a mock pout. "Now that just sucks." Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics.

Casey smirked before turning to Devon. "Wait, what about the other guys? Did they get in?" She questioned as she remembered Devon's plan to go to the same school as his three closest friends and hockey teammates.

"Yeah, we're all on the team and we're all roommates too." Devon added causing Casey to smile as she nodded her approval to hearing the good news.

Dean smirked at the thought. "Sounds like a hell of a party." Devon chuckled in response.

"Are they here?" She questioned while she tried to look around the crowd for them but with no such luck.

"Yup, they're probably grilling Derek for some answers on why he bailed a couple weeks ago." Devon explained but Casey's attention snapped back to Devon when he mentioned her pseudo-stepbrother's name.

"Wait, Derek?" Confusion was evident in her voice while her brothers' attention was focused on Devon.

Devon noticed all three Winchesters had their focus centered on him and he didn't know why. He shifted his gaze to Casey and he saw the confusion written on her face. "Yeah Derek Venturi. He's one of my London hockey buds. Why?"

Devon watched as Casey's pupils dilated in shock. Sam and Dean were looking at each other with amused expressions on their face.

"Oh, now this just got interesting Sammy." Dean quipped as he watched his stunned sister try to recompose herself.

After a few false starts, Casey was able to say something. "Derek's my stepbrother."

"What?" Devon's mind was whirling at the news. _She's been living with Venturi this whole time?_

Casey tilted her head in thought. "Or he thinks I'm his stepsister because of the lie-" She thought out loud but Devon interrupted her once his thoughts reorganized.

"Wait, your new stepfamily was the Venturis?" Devon questioned as he tried to get out of his shocked daze.

Casey turned back to look at Devon's face for any indication of where his thought process was heading. "Yeah…" She slowly responded.

"So then you're the reason he bailed out of a party in Toronto a couple weeks ago?" He questioned as all the things Derek mentioned about his stepsister earlier raced through his brain.

**[FLASHBACK]**

"_What was the emergency?" Alex quipped before finding a vacant chair and planted himself in it, leaving Tyler and Devon left standing. _

_Derek sighed. "She caught her boyfriend cheating with her cousin so she ended the night early and I was her ride home."_

**[END FLASHBACK]**

Casey's expression hardened before she looked somewhere passed Dean's shoulder. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Devon knew what Derek said was true when he noticed the brunette's demeanor change as he felt her body tense in his arms. "You're the one that got cheated on at that party." He softly stated.

Casey's head snapped back to Devon once again with a surprised expression. "What?" His statement threw her since they haven't talked since she moved (which she has regretted) yet the only people who knew about the details of when she broke up with Truman were Sam and Dean…..and Derek.

"Derek was supposed to meet up with us when he was in Toronto but he had to cancel." Casey nodded along before Devon continued, since he saw the unasked question in her eyes. "Before I went to get drinks, he told us that the reason he couldn't meet up was because his stepsister caught her boyfriend cheating and she wanted to go home." Casey sighed as she looked back to the bar when she eyed the spot where her empty glass used to be. _I could really use another scotch but I guess the bartender took it. _She sadly mused to herself.

Devon didn't like that Casey's high spirits were disappearing. He took his free hand and tilted her chin up to look at him. "If I'd known it was you, I would have beaten the guy up myself." Devon grinned when he saw a small smirk form on his best friend's face.

Dean couldn't help but feel slightly responsible that Casey even attending that party in the first place. He remembered his Aunt Nora calling him to inform him that his sister was getting out of control and acting all rebellious due to her boyfriend. Dean told his aunt that he'd talk some sense into Casey and that was it. He didn't find out until she called him on her prom night that the scumbag had cheated on her with their cousin Victoria. _Now there's a relative I hate to share blood with. _

Sam remained silent during Devon's explanation but the more he watched the dynamic between the duo, the more he couldn't deny the fact that the boy before them truly cared for their little sister and Sam knew that his brother could see that too. _Makes you wonder how Derek factors into all of this. _

Dean smirked at Devon's last comment. "Now I'm starting to like him." He stage whispered to his brother before looking to his sister, who still heard the comment. "Good choice Baby Girl." Casey smiled at Dean's approval, having already received Sam's when he remembered the emails.

"We're just best friends Dean." Casey clarified when she noticed the knowing look in Dean's eyes.

Devon leaned down close to her ear to whisper something that caused her to giggle. Both brothers wore amused expressions as their thoughts opposed their sister's comment on her status with Devon.

The teenager straightened up as he gave a serious look between the Winchester trio. "So who's the cheater?"

"You wouldn't know him." She mumbled but he still heard her.

"Try me."

Sam and Dean looked towards each other before they shrugged. _Why not_? They both mused before Dean turned to answer Devon. "Some kid named Truman."

Devon's jaw dropped. "Truman French?"

Sam tilted his head at Devon's response while Dean quirked his eyebrow. "You know him?"

Devon shook his head as he gave Casey a reassuring squeeze around her waist. "Personally, no but he got kicked out of our private school during my senior year. Guy was a real sleaze." Devon ended with venom in his voice.

Dean was getting more furious the more he learned about Truman. "Oh hell, we better not come across this kid tonight or I'll beat the crap out of him." He threatened because enough was enough. Dean knew that Truman was just a distraction for Casey but that still didn't mean that she deserved to have the scumbag cheat on her with her cousin, no less!

"Mind if I help?" Devon offered as he was in complete agreement with Dean's plan for Truman.

Sam sighed. "No one's beating anyone up tonight."

Casey nodded her head in agreement with Sam, even though she loved the thought. "Yeah, I don't want to spend the night getting you guys out of prison." She reasoned before she was smirking as the thoughts of her prom night entered her mind. "Besides, I already took a swing at him remember?" Dean snickered while Sam rolled his eyes as both brothers had different opinions on how Casey handled the situation.

"You did?" Devon questioned in disbelief. He knew that she could handle herself but he didn't actually suspect her to do anything that involved her to use those specific skills.

"She sure did." Dean stated with a proud laced tone for what his sister had done to defend herself as he watched her smile widen as she looked towards him. Dean couldn't help but smile back at his sister, since it had felt like forever since he'd seen her smile (today was like the start for them making up for lost time). The oldest Winchester looked back towards the grinning boy. "Devon?"

Devon shifted his gaze to the oldest Winchester. "Yeah?"

Dean didn't want to say what he was about to but he couldn't help but feel that the kid in front of him was no threat to his family in any way. "If you're this protective of Casey…" Dean paused as he scratched the back of his neck. "Then I guess you're okay in my book." He finished with a smirk directed at the university student.

Casey beamed a perfect smile after her brother's words before she ran to give Dean a hug, throwing her oldest brother off guard but he laughed it off as he returned the hug to his ecstatic sister.

Devon chuckled. "Cool."

Sam smirked at the sight of his siblings before he slapped a hand onto Dean's shoulder. "I think with that said, why don't we all celebrate together tonight?" The taller man suggested as he looked between everyone. "That way Casey can have her two reunions." He finished off, getting another smile from his sister, once she stepped out of her hug with Dean.

"I'd like that. It would be an honor to get to know Cay's brothers-" Devon was interrupted by the bartender, who finally placed four beer bottles on the bar counter. Devon had forgotten his order, having his mind focused on the Winchesters but he shuffled closer to the bar to claim his drinks before he turned back to the awaiting trio. "But I should probably get these beers to my roommates before joining you guys." Devon finished with an apologetic shrug. He was kind of torn between getting to know the Winchester brothers and hanging out with Derek, Sam and Ralph, who he hadn't seen in a long time. _Maybe I could do both, somehow. _

Dean nodded in understanding before his attention drifted to the empty pool table that was in his sights. "Well, I see a free pool table so I'm gonna head on over there." Devon nodded before Dean turned to his brother. "Sam, you coming?"

"Sure." Sam answered.

Dean nodded before turning back to Devon. "Join us when you're ready." Devon nodded once again before the oldest Winchester looked down at his sister, who was biting her bottom lip. "Case?"

Casey was thinking over her options for a bit when Dean was talking just now and she was kind of torn herself. She wanted to say hi to Carter and Tyler, and for some strange reason, she wanted to say hi to Alex too yet she wanted to hang out with her brothers and celebrate her graduation the way only a Winchester knew how. She didn't make up her mind until a few seconds after Dean had asked her. "I'll meet up with you guys in a bit. I wanna say hi to the rest of the guys before I grab a couple of dances. I'll meet you at the pool table afterwards…" Casey explained before Dean noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes. "…unless you want to dance with me?" She questioned, even though she knew what their answers would be.

Dean scoffed. "No thanks. Devon or one of the other guys can dance with you. Sam and I will be making some money." He bantered ignoring the fact that he just pushed his sister off on some other guy to be her dance partner. _Dean Winchester does not dance! _

Sam remained silent yet he was smirking for his brother's little slip up. _He's gonna regret saying that when he sees Casey dancing. _He mused to himself, remembering when he first saw Casey dance with Derek for _Dance Mania_ on television. That dance showed chemistry and it was choreographed; now he didn't really want to know what a freestyle dancing Casey was like. _I have a feeling I might be a witness to that tonight. _He mused to himself, knowing that he might not like what he sees but that would be forgotten once he gets a look at Dean's reaction. _Sometimes Dean acted more like a father towards Casey than Dad himself. _Sam stifled a laugh at the thought.

Casey gave her brother a sly smile. "Don't get caught now."

Sam snickered while Dean just scoffed at his little sister's comment. "Whatever." Dean moved towards the bar so that he was now leaning against the side before turning back to look at Casey; he's smug smile in place, since he had a slight idea on what she planned on doing. "Have fun toying with Derek."

Casey's eyes lit up when all the possibilities suddenly crossed her mind. "Oh I will. C'mon Devon." Casey called to her best friend before turning towards where she assumed Derek was seated. Devon smirked before grabbing the four beers and quickly following into step with her.

"Be nice Casey." Sam called out to her but he figured that she'd ignore it. _At least I can't say that I didn't try. _

"Can't hear you!" Casey shouted back over the crowd but neither Winchester heard as they only saw their sister give them a mock salute.

Dean laughed before turning his body around. "Hey bartender! Can I get two beers?" Dean ordered before turning to face his brother. "Ready for some pool Sammy?"

* * *

The sight Derek Venturi saw before him was causing all sorts of emotions to arise inside of him that he had to turn away. After Derek had recognized the brunette Devon was kissing to be his stepsister Casey, the graduate was conflicted on the option of turning away from the sight at the bar or to keep watching. His fists were balled up under the table as his eyes stayed on his stepsister, long enough to notice that Casey kissing Devon wasn't something new between the two of them and that just irked him inside. _How the hell do they know each other? _The question kept passing through his mind after he turned his gaze away and started playing with the empty glass he wished was filled with vodka or something that would take the edge off.

Any conversation that was from the other guys was all a blur as Derek couldn't really concentrate on anything but that kiss. He couldn't figure out why he was reacting the way he did. He didn't get his reactions one bit today because he could have sworn he was acting like he cared for his annoying stepsister. _I'm just curious that's all; I don't care in the slightest. _He tried convincing himself but a part of him wasn't buying it. If Derek didn't care then why was he experiencing this funny feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever he saw Casey with either Sam or Dean and now with her kissing Devon, he instantly knew that he was another guy that would cause the uneasy feeling in his stomach to occur, if he ever saw his friend lip locking with Casey again.

Derek wanted so badly to be able to drown his feelings and thoughts in that moment and just forget what he saw; forget that he even had a stepsister for the night. _I'm supposed to be celebrating tonight, so why do I feel like I'm over-analyzing everything which is supposed to be Casey's job? Again with the Casey thoughts! _He mentally reprimanded himself causing a slight headache to form.

Derek was too busy with his thoughts to notice Sam and Dean interrupt Casey and Devon's kiss and he was definitely too busy to notice the curious and confused glances from his friends.

Ralph was still watching the scene at the bar while Derek was berating himself. Ralph found it amusing how the Winchesters seemed to handle the scene and Ralph had a slight idea that Derek was conflicted on the whole issue. He internally sighed at his friend's internal battle. _I may be oblivious at times but I know something is up with Derek when it involves Casey. I just wished he figured it out sooner so that he'd let me know. _

Sam was watching his best friend carefully as he tried to figure out how his ex-girlfriend/good friend knew their friend Devon. He figured she must have known him from before moving to London because he knew that Casey wasn't the type of girl to just kiss some random guy that she had talked with for less than five minutes.

Tyler, Carter and Alex continuously looked between Derek and Devon for different reasons. The trio weren't shocked that Devon was able to get a beautiful girl to kiss him in no time but what brought on their curiosity was Derek's reaction to it. _Did Derek know the brunette and was jealous of Devon? _The thought crossed the university students' minds as they continued to look between their two friends.

Alex's attention was more on the brunette as he was practically undressing her with his eyes as well as fighting off his jealousy that Devon got to her before him. _Lucky bastard._ He mused to himself with a smirk. Tyler and Carter, on the other hand, were hit with a sense of familiarity with the way Devon was around the girl and with the girl herself. She looked very familiar but with the distance between their location and the bar they couldn't be certain. Tyler and Carter exchanged a few glances with one another but neither could figure out who the mystery girl was; they did know however, that they must have seen her before but her name was just on the tip of their tongue.

Everyone was too caught up in their own thoughts until they heard the clunk of three beer bottles on the table a few moments later. Everyone (except Derek) turned to see Devon, smirking, as he held his own beer bottle in his hand.

"Sorry for the delay boys, got a little…caught up." Devon greeted while his roommates took their beer bottles. His mini conversation with Casey after leaving her brothers was still fresh in his mind and he couldn't help but smirk at how much she hadn't changed when it came to certain situations.

Alex noticed his friend's smirk and he scoffed. "I bet you did. Have fun making out with that brunette?" Alex quipped before taking a sip of his beer.

"What brunette?" Devon innocently asked but he kind of figured that they might have seen his kiss with Casey.

Tyler laughed at Devon's attempts to being clueless. _No way is a kiss like that going to be off his mind so quickly. _"Oh don't play all innocent Devon, we saw that kiss between you and your mystery girl." Tyler teased as he too, took a sip from his beer.

Devon smirked but he didn't say a thing when he caught sight of a girl, wearing a leather jacket, just behind Derek. _She's gonna scare the shit out of him. _

Derek still wasn't paying attention but he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt leather clad arms wrap around his neck from behind, followed by the feel of soft loose hair around his exposed neck. His senses were then engulfed with a scent that was so familiar that he couldn't place it but the voice that came from the mysterious visitor was all he needed to confirm their identity.

"What mystery girl?" Her soft yet curious voice asked as she tilted her head to the side as her breath tickled Derek's ear slightly. Derek resisted the urge to shiver at the sensation. _Why am I reacting like this? _He questioned himself.

He tensed immediately at their closeness as he slowly turned his head to face her. "Geez, do you have to sneak up on me like that?" Annoyance was evident in his voice.

Casey couldn't help the smug smile that formed on her face while her arms were still wrapped around her pseudo-stepbrother's neck. "Yes. It's fun. Now, what mystery girl?" She questioned as she looked around all the guys at the table that held different expressions; Devon was smirking, Sam and Ralph were surprised by her entrance as well as for Derek still letting her hug him the way she was, Carter and Tyler were shocked as the familiarity now hit them like a ton of bricks and Alex was a little bitter after realizing who Casey really was.

Carter was the first to laugh after connecting the mystery girl to their past. "You are definitely something, little lady." He teased, remembering when he first met the brunette at a Halloween party during his sophomore year while his girlfriend at the time, Lily, was having the somewhat new girl tag along with them.

Casey raised an eyebrow at Carter. "Now what makes you say that?" She quipped as she also remembered meeting the brown hair, brown eyed hockey player through her friend Lily. Carter Wilson was the first out of the four roommates that she had met and she had become good friends with Lily's boyfriend. It was even an added bonus when she found out later that he was great friends with Devon. Carter was always a very sweet, kind and caring type of guy that she didn't get to see that often. At times, Carter reminded Casey of her brother Sam.

Tyler smirked at the legendary brunette before him. "Well that was one hell of a greeting you gave Devon a little while ago." He quipped as he remembered how everyone in his sophomore class wanted to get some face time with the new, hot Fletcher Freshman. It was rumored around his school how she knew how to have a great time before anything _intimate_ would happen (the guys would rave on about how much fun they had on their dates and how it was all before they got to kiss the girl). Of course, at the time, Tyler Jacobs had a girlfriend (Megan) but he had met Casey about three weeks after Devon had at the New Years Eve party.

Casey released her hold around Derek's neck and made her way to stand between Ralph and Tyler. "You saw that huh?" He could see the mischievous look in her eyes which caused him to chuckle. On the other side of the table, Derek didn't know why he suddenly missed having Casey's arms around his neck or why he was furious all of a sudden. _Why is she acting like this with my friends?_

"Pretty much everyone was a witness to that." Alex stated bitterly as he glared at the brunette.

Casey scoffed as she looked up from Tyler to a bitter Alex. "Not my fault Alex." She stated as she took a good look at the blonde hair, green eyed player that sat next to the black hair, brown eyed hockey forward. Casey could tell by Alex's demeanor that he still blamed what happened between them on her. She rolled her eyes before speaking. "And for the record, it wasn't my fault what happened. You brought that upon yourself." She stated back a bit harshly.

Alex Johnston had been a part of her 'freshman frenzy' when she met him in November 2000. She hadn't known his connection to Carter or Devon at the time they dated; only that he was the goalie for the hockey team. She knew that he was his school's 'bad boy player' and she was fine with it because she was only dating to have some fun, to let loose and to gain a little something out of the experience. Alex was great company who knew how to have fun in any situation and he probably would have lasted longer than the others with that fact alone but he broke one of Casey's rules; he kissed another girl while going out with her.

"It was one mistake." Alex defended himself as he continued to glare at his 'ex-girlfriend'.

Casey snarled, not wanting to deal with Alex anymore. _Why did I want to say hi to him in the first place? _"Well that one mistake broke one of _my_ rules."

Casey usually dated a guy for about a week (therefore a maximum of six dates, with a day of rest) before taking a few days break and then moving on to the next guy. Every guy knew this up front on the first date and they were told of her rules and her reasons for dating; to have fun and she wasn't looking for anything serious. They all would agree to it just to have that one week with the new legendary female. One rule that she emphasized the most was that she didn't tolerate being cheated on; any sign of the guy cheating on her during that one week she was dating him and she'd end it immediately. It was another reason why she was so furious when Truman cheated on her by kissing Victoria. Casey always made sure that she'd never go after a taken guy (she refused to be the 'mistress' type) and she never wanted to be the one who was being played like a fool in a relationship. She never told the guys that she had connections around town; she was a hunter after all, she had to have her sources of intel of any kind (supernatural or not). She found out Alex had made out with another girl a day after it happened and she immediately ended it before their fifth date began. A huge fight ensued with Alex accusing Casey of not being able to handle him as the real reason for the break up before she told him the specifics of how he had broken one of her main rules. Casey and Alex never crossed paths until the day Devon introduced Casey to Tyler…and Alex.

Carter sighed. "Guys, we really don't need to hear that argument again." He stated before taking a needed swig from his beer. _When is the guy ever gonna give up on that argument?_ Devon patted Carter on the back before taking a seat between Sam and Carter. Devon was finding it amusing how Casey was handling herself in front of Derek, Sam and Ralph. _They aren't gonna know what hit them. _He mused to himself as he took another swig of his beer, not really bothered by the Casey/Alex fight since he heard both sides so many times in the past.

Tyler turned to Alex. "Yeah dude, so just give it up." He piped in with his two cents before patting his friend on the shoulder. Alex just shrugged it off before taking a huge gulp from his beer.

"So Casey, how'd you know our boy Derek here?" Carter questioned as he tilted his head towards Derek, who was watching the exchange with intense interest. He too was trying to figure out how his stepsister even knew some of his hockey friends. _Maybe they met before I met her; before our parents got married. _

Casey looked between the guys she hadn't seen in three years before looking to Derek. Her eyebrow quirked up in question at her pseudo-stepbrother, who had an emotionless mask planted on his face. She knew he had mentioned something about her to them since he was the one to tell Devon about what happened at the party in Toronto. "He hasn't told you guys yet?" She asked the roommates while still maintaining eye contact with Derek.

Tyler shrugged as he took a swig from his drink. "Well, all we've learned today is that he's had a stepsister all this time-" Tyler trailed off as he didn't get to make the connection aloud but Devon saw the wide eyed look on his friend's face, indicating that he had made the connection.

Carter made the connection aloud as he stated the final clue. "Who's name is Casey….." Casey could feel three sets of wide eyes on her before they drifted to Derek and back but neither graduate broke the eye contact. No matter how hard Derek could try to hide it, she could still see the curiosity and question in them. She couldn't help but smirk at him.

"No way!" Alex stated before going slack jawed at the realization. He couldn't believe it, not only did Derek Venturi have a stepsister his age for the past three years, but it turns out to be Casey McDonald herself, the legendary girl from Fletcher. He was also confused on why Derek seemed to be annoyed with her or why he claimed to always fight with her. Sure, he's kind of on bad terms himself with Casey but that's because they broke up but he could admit to himself at least that Casey was a great girl to have around. _So why was Venturi peeved with her?_

"Dude! You think mentioning that your stepsister's last name was McDonald would have been helpful." Tyler questioned with a slight accusatory tone towards Derek, who broke the eye contract from his stepsister.

"Well sorry, how was I supposed to know that you would know who my annoying stepsister was." Derek sarcastically bit back at Tyler, who held his hands up in a surrendering position. Derek thought he could find the answers through Casey's demeanor like how he always could tell whether she was lying, whether she was uncomfortable or when she was confident in her decisions but all he got was a mixed combination that he wasn't use to but it held some familiarity to it.

Casey, on the other hand, laughed off Tyler and Derek's comment before she walked around Alex and Carter (she slightly ruffled Carter's hair as she passed him like she use to and as always, he shrugged away so that she couldn't do too much damage to his head) to get to Devon.

"Oh she's anything but annoying." Devon stated smugly before Casey shimmied herself into his waiting arms.

Casey's arms wrapped around Devon's neck while his right arm snaked around her waist, as his left hand held his beer.

Casey smiled. "Thanks Hun." She gave him a quick peck on his lips before pulling back to seeing the smirk on his face.

"Any time." Devon responded before four sets of groans were heard; three for the familiar displays of affection that they were exposed to three years ago and one from a teenager that didn't understand why he was reacting the way he was. _First Sam, now Devon…who's she gonna go after next? _Derek couldn't help but think to himself. Sam and Ralph remained silent as they took the whole scene in.

"Oh, now I'm more interested on how Casey met all you guys." Ralph couldn't help but interrupt since his curiosity was reaching his boiling point. He could feel all the different dynamics that Casey had with each of older hockey players and he wanted to know how his respectable, high-maintenance friend could be so laid back with the guys before him; it wasn't like she had many guy friends at SJST. _Also, I think Derek's gonna blow a gasket if he doesn't find out soon enough. _

Casey and Devon chuckled before they looked to Ralph, who had a genuinely curious expression on his face. Casey bit her bottom lip as she looked to Devon, which Derek noticed, before Devon nodded for her to tell them.

Casey twisted a bit in Devon's arm as she now only had her left arm wrapped around Devon's neck, her fingers playing with his brown hair that just ended at the nape of his neck, and her right hand patted Carter's shoulder. "Well, I met Carter here during a Halloween party during my freshman year through his girlfriend Lily. She's a sweet girl who was in a majority of my classes so we got along fine. Lily and I weren't best friends or anything but if I needed someone to accompany me to a party….if I didn't have a date, I usually went with her and Carter." Casey explained while shifting her gaze to Carter every once in a while as her hand remained on his shoulder. Midway through her explanation, Carter had moved his right hand to cross over his chest and squeeze the hand she left on his shoulder.

Carter was one of the few that hadn't seen Casey in a dateable way (one reason being his girlfriend Lily, who he really cared for at the time) but he was good friends with the brunette and he never minded when she tagged along. Sometimes it was even entertaining for him to see Casey try and weasel her way out of certain situations, in ways that he would never have thought possible. _The girl was definitely something. _Carter had missed Casey's presence in their group and it didn't really help much that Lily had to move to Calgary the January of the following year.

Derek snickered. "Third Wheel as always Case."

Carter scoffed and defended the girl before she could retaliate. "Hardly, she was the 'meet and greet' type before she went to mingle with people." He stated before removing his hand from covering hers and taking a swig of his beer.

Casey shrugged off the compliment but she was very pleased inside by the words. "Well, I am a people person." She quipped causing some soft chuckles from the others.

Casey could feel the slight rumble emitting from Devon's chest. "Yeah you are." Her best friend stated since he knew how true that statement was. Devon knew that Casey had this amazing charisma and charm to her that instantly won people over before she would have to resort to using her feminine charms to get what she wanted. _She mentioned that being a hunter did require you to win people over with the façade you portray before them. _He mused, wondering whether she picked up the technique from Sam and Dean or whether she developed it naturally.

Sam nodded his head along. "What about Alex?"

Casey looked to Alex before looking to her good friend/ex-boyfriend Sam. "I met Alex a month later. We dated for about four days before I broke it off with him." She stated with no emotion in her last statement.

"Why'd you break it off?" Ralph questioned.

Alex drank a gulp of his beer before he pointed a finger at Ralph. "That's none of your concern." He retorted, slightly acting like he was drunk, but his roommates knew that he wasn't.

Casey glared at Alex before she continued. "He broke one of my dating rules I had established when I was attending Fletcher."

"Care to share the rule?" Derek interjected as he saw the cold stares between Casey and Alex while their argument earlier rang through his head.

**[FLASHBACK]**

"_It wasn't my fault what happened. You brought that upon yourself." Casey stated back a bit harshly._

"_It was one mistake." Alex defended himself as he continued to glare at Casey. _

_Casey snarled. "Well that one mistake broke one of my rules." _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

Casey groaned. "Let's just say, if I was enforcing those rules now, Truman broke it." She stated before whispering something into Devon's ear. Derek watched as Devon handed Casey his beer before she took a quick swig from it. She swallowed it down as if it were nothing before handing it back to Devon. Derek's hand once again formed a fist under the table at the sight; from jealousy over the fact they were sharing a beer together or from the fact that Casey was drinking and he couldn't, he wasn't sure and he really didn't want to think all too much about it at the moment.

Sam and Ralph immediately showed their shocked expressions towards Alex, who was still nursing his beer.

Ralph shook his head, disapprovingly. "Dude, not cool."

Alex took another swig. "Don't remind me." He grumbled.

"And Devon and Tyler?" Derek asked this time as he looked between the two in question before settling his gaze on his stepsister.

Casey smirked. "I met Devon at a New Years Eve party and then I met Tyler through him a couple weeks later. It wasn't until I met Tyler that I found out that they were also friends with Carter and Alex." She explained while keeping eye contact with Derek. She could kind of sense that he was a little angry, possibly a few notches shorter than how Dean was when he caught her kissing Devon earlier.

"And you and Devon?" Derek pushed as he quirked his eyebrow out of curiosity.

Casey couldn't help but let a slight laugh escape her lips. _He seems jealous. _"Didn't start dating until Spring Break but we broke up mutually just before I had to move here." Devon tightened his grip around Casey's waist, causing her to turn to him as they both smile/smirked at each other.

Derek rolled his eyes as he played it off as him being indifferent to the situation but he had this sudden urge to pummel his friend. _Get a hold of yourself Venturi! You've known Devon since you were kids; you have no reason to beat him up. _Derek tried reasoning with himself but he couldn't help but question himself; why did he want to beat him up all of a sudden?

Something Sam Winchester had said earlier that day had crossed Derek's mind, breaking him away from his internal battle and allowing for a smug smirk to show on his face. "So Alex and Devon were both a part of your little frenzy huh Case." He teased which caught her attention instantly.

She had a feeling that little tidbit that her brother let slip would still be lingering in Derek's mind. _Remind me to give Sam a mental beating later on at the motel. _She noted to herself before schooling her features.

Derek could see the amusing glint in her eyes but from the way they looked, something was off; he just couldn't place it. "Still can't get what Sam and Dean said out of your head now can you Derek?" She quipped with another question as she avoided his. Derek didn't seem to realize this as his smirk grew.

"Can you really blame me? Some of the things they've said have me questioning how much I truly know about you." He bantered back as he looked like he was contemplating the dilemma of not knowing who his stepsister really was, which for Derek seemed like an impossible idea. _Of course, I know her. _He mentally reassured himself.

Casey grinned a victorious smile at her pseudo-stepbrother. _Oh he has no idea how much I've kept hidden inside._ "You'll be surprised Derek at how much you don't know."

"I doubt that, I know you pretty well Spacey." Derek cockily stated as he leaned forward in his seat, arms crossed and on the table.

"Seems like you can't go one night without calling me by those nicknames you've so graciously picked out for me." Casey sarcastically stated, yet enjoying the little banter between her and Derek.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't call you one of the nicknames from time to time." Derek interjected with an amused expression. _Now fighting with Casey is familiar; just what I needed to ward off those…unknown thoughts and f-f-f-feelings._

Casey gave a dramatic sigh. "I guess you wouldn't be interested in a truce then huh Derek."

Derek scoffed. "We don't do truces Case."

"Not even for graduation." She questioned with a little hope in her voice but Derek nodded his head no. "Come on, it's for one night." Casey stated in a slightly whiny tone.

Derek smirked. "Still not doing it."

"How about you play for it?" Devon suggested causing everyone to look at him in confusion and some were disappointed that he had disrupted the amusing banter that Casey and Derek were creating. Casey, on the other hand, had a slight idea what Devon meant.

"What'd ya mean?" Tyler questioned after taking another swig of his beer.

"Well, Casey and I were going to meet up with Sam and Dean in a bit at the pool tables." Devon explained as he gestured towards where the pool tables were located. Derek could slightly see Dean playing pool with some guy while Sam was seated off to the side at a table. "Why don't the two of you play each other to establish if you make the truce or not? Casey wins; the truce happens. Derek wins; no truce. What'd ya say?" Devon stated his proposal as he looked between his two friends. He found their banters quite amusing and he wondered if they did those often (it was unknown to Devon that Derek had told his roommates that he fought with Casey constantly and that they're complete opposites to one another). He did notice a certain spark in the fights but he didn't want to assume anything. _I'll ask Casey about it later. _

Casey shrugged as if it was no big deal but she was grinning on the inside; thankful that Devon was the one to think of it. _I'll win for sure. _"I'm up for it, what about you Derek?" She asked her pseudo-stepbrother, who seemed to be giving off a hesitant vibe.

"Seems unfair don't you think?" He questioned before an arrogant smile spread across his face. "We all know that I'm gonna win." Derek stated with confidence after he mulled over the idea of playing a game of pool against his keener stepsister. _I've been coming to this place for the past two years, no way is she gonna beat me at a game of pool. _He mused to himself.

Casey scoffed at his demeanor but she did have to applaud him for his confidence once again. _Doesn't change the fact he's gonna loose. _"So there's no reason not to play then since you have 'the money in the bag,' so to speak." She persuaded him to agree to the match. She would have mentioned that this was sort of like a bet but she refrained against it.

Derek laughed at the idea. "You really want to humiliate yourself McDonald?" He quipped, as he couldn't really pass up an opportunity to rub it in her face that he was better than her at something else.

Casey smirked. "Bring it on Venturi but I assure you, it's you that's gonna get his ass kicked to the curb when I beat you." She ended off with her right hand outstretch before her, waiting for him to shake on their deal.

Derek snapped out of his momentary shock from hearing Casey curse before he took her right hand in his and shook it, making the deal official.

"Game on McDonald." The two smirked at each other, still holding eye contact as their right hands were still clasped together. Everyone else seemed amused by the upcoming game.

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A/N #6: **Well I **created profile wallpapers** for my original characters, the Toronto Hockey Buddies and for the Galloways to show you who I had envisioned to play them as well as a little paragraph on the basics of that character (which are just summaries that were explained in this chapter). Just in case you don't check them out on my _LiveJournal_ account, he's the list of which actor/actress I thought went with my characters.

**Devon McCloud** – Chace Crawford (aka Nate Archibald on "_Gossip Girl_" or Tyler Simms from "_The Covenant_")

**Carter Wilson** – Steven R. McQueen (aka Jeremy Gilbert on "_The Vampire Diaries_")

**Tyler Jacobs** – Michael Trevino (aka Tyler Lockwood on "_The Vampire Diaries_")

**Alex Johnston** – Toby Hemingway (aka Reid Garwin on "_The Covenant_")

**Miranda Galloway** – Blake Lively (aka Serena van der Woodsen on "_Gossip Girl_")

**Brandon Galloway** – Matt Barr (aka Dan Patch on "_Hellcats_" or Ian/Psycho Derek on "_One Tree Hill_" or young Keith van der Woodsen on "_Gossip Girl_")

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A/N #7: **So what did you guys think? Sorry if that was a bit much on the information overload but you got more of a sneak peek of Casey's past connections with Derek's Toronto Hockey Boys. What did you think of the past Casey/Devon and Casey/Alex bit? I'm sorry Casey seemed a bit more out-of-character for her freshman year, but **she is Dean Winchester's little sister** so some of his dating attributes should have rubbed off on her while growing up (plus it's not like she was reckless on dates, she knew the 'warning' signs to look for if she ever were in danger, thanks to Dean and him constantly reminding her why "boys are evil"). **How was everyone else in the chapter? **

**A/N #8: **Alright, so there a two reasons there will be a delay on the next chapter. **1)** I need to study for my 2 final exams (university sucks but the last exam is on Dec. 16th) and **2)** I attached 3 outtakes to this chapter so I plan on writing and posting those up before I even think about posting the next chapter up. I've already started writing for one of the outtakes when the inspiration hit yesterday and I know for sure that one of them is just going to have an additional scene so it shouldn't be as long as my previous outtakes.

**A/N #9: **Again, I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing my story. You guys are truly amazing and it definitely brightens my day when I read your awesome reviews =D **So please don't hesitate to review again **(if you haven't caught on, I practically love the idea of receiving a good review). **Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing! **Can't wait to hear what you think will happen next or your thoughts on how everything is progressing in the story. I also welcome your thoughts on the upcoming episodes. So please, don't be shy to leaving me a review...okay, I'll shut up now.

**Please review and have a great Tuesday!**

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Originally Published: **December 7, 2010

**Edited: **January 5, 2011**  
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	11. Ch 10: She Was A What Now?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 10: She Was A What Now?**

**A/N #1:** I'm sorry for the delay but I didn't know how to write Derek's discovery out but it finally came to me over the weekend and I kind of wanted to post today (Jan. 24) because it's **Dean Winchester's birthday!** I know he's fiction but he's very real in this story, so why not celebrate? Anyways, I'm not sure when I'll be posting next because I really need to focus on my school work but I'll still be thinking about how to continue on with the story.

**A/N #2: **I just want to say **thank you so much to all my readers, reviewers and alerters** for staying with me for this story (and my others too). It really means a lot to me! You guys are the best and your reviews put the much needed smile onto my face =D

**A/N #3: **So this week ends the winter tv show hiatus so don't hold back on telling me what you think of the latest _Supernatural _and _Vampire Diaries_ episodes. I'm excited, how about you? Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **100th** Reviewer and it goes to **Princesakarlita411**.

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Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine. The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Brandon and Miranda

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the past couple of years.

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Two Timing Derek", "Just Friends", "Middle Manic", "Casey & Ralph?" and "Male Code Blue"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits):** "Pilot" (_bitch/jerk _moment)

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo **Casey/Devon** as **"_CASON_"** and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

Casey shrugged as if it was no big deal but she was grinning on the inside; thankful that Devon was the one to think of it. _I'll win for sure. _"I'm up for it, what about you Derek?" She asked her pseudo-stepbrother, who seemed to be giving off a hesitant vibe.

"Seems unfair don't you think?" He questioned before an arrogant smile spread across his face. "We all know that I'm gonna win." Derek stated with confidence after he mulled over the idea of playing a game of pool against his keener stepsister. _I've been coming to this place for the past two years, no way is she gonna beat me at a game of pool. _He mused to himself.

Casey scoffed at his demeanor but she did have to applaud him for his confidence once again. _Doesn't change the fact he's gonna loose. _"So there's no reason not to play then since you have 'the money in the bag,' so to speak." She persuaded him to agree to the match. She would have mentioned that this was sort of like a bet but she refrained against it.

Derek laughed at the idea. "You really want to humiliate yourself McDonald?" He quipped, as he couldn't really pass up an opportunity to rub it in her face that he was better than her at something else.

Casey smirked. "Bring it on Venturi but I assure you, it's you that's gonna get his ass kicked to the curb when I beat you." She ended off with her right hand outstretch before her, waiting for him to shake on their deal.

Derek snapped out of his momentary shock from hearing Casey curse before he took her right hand in his and shook it, making the deal official.

"Game on McDonald." The two smirked at each other, still holding eye contact as their right hands were still clasped together. Everyone else seemed amused by the upcoming game.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

"Ready for some pool Sammy?" Dean Winchester questioned his brother as the bartender grabbed a couple of beers for the hunters.

"Sure." Sam agreed just before he was handed his beer. He followed in step with his brother as they headed towards the empty pool table Dean had spotted earlier. "So what are we playing for tonight?" He questioned his brother just as they approached the table.

Dean took a swig of his beer before stopping at the empty table beside their pool table. "The bed." He stated after placing his beer bottle on the table and taking off his leather jacket and draping it over one of the chairs.

Sam eyed his brother quizzically. "What?"

Dean smirked. "Casey's staying with us tonight, remember?" Sam nodded before the realization dawned on him. _The motel room only has two beds. _Dean snickered when he saw it on his brother's face that he knew where the stakes were at. "So loser either shares with her or sleeps on the floor. Deal?" He stated as he searched for the perfect cue to use, turning to his brother when he was finished.

Sam took a swig of his beer. "Deal, but shouldn't she choose?" He questioned before placing his own beer beside Dean's and putting his jacket on the second free chair at the table.

Dean chuckled. "You know she's gonna pick the floor because we've had it _rough_ due to our recent job." He told him with a know-it-all grin because it was just like Casey to put other people's comfort before her own.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. If Casey knew the type of case they were working on in Atlanta, Georgia, she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice the bed for the night for her _injured_ brothers and both brothers knew that. _Hope she doesn't find out how we were thrown up against the wall a couple of times. _He didn't know about Dean but Sam had to make sure that Casey didn't accidentally touch one of his bruises or that he didn't move in a way that would catch her attention to his distress. The bruises weren't huge but the hunter was lucky that they were healing fast. He could even lie and say that he got them due to a clumsy moment but its position would be tough to explain if further questions were asked.

Sam sighed "Our way it is then."

Dean smirked. "As always and I break." He called as he handed Sam his cue before getting into position for the break.

Sam took the proffered cue and stepped back, mainly leaning against his chair with his jacket attached to it. "You always break."

Dean lowered himself as he lined up his cue with the cue ball. "Well I'm older, so what's your point?" He questioned just before he carried through with his stroke as it produced a powerful strike, breaking up the group of colored spheres as they separated around the table. Dean stood tall, a smug smirk plastered on his face after watching one of the solid spheres going into a corner pocket. "Not like it would matter." He quipped as he moved to his next position, eyeing the table to see where his next shot would be.

Sam rolled his eyes as Dean lowered his body to align his next shot. "Jerk."

Dean laughed. "Bitch." He retorted back with the familiar comeback before taking his next shot; sinking in his targeted ball in the side pocket.

Sam resisted the urge to groan once again. He knew it was a possibility that Dean could take the game without him getting a shot in. It's happened before in their past and he knew that if his brother could, he'd do it all the time when he was hustling but Dean liked giving his opponent false hope and the fact that it lessens the chance of a fight breaking out was another reason for him not to run the game completely.

Sam had to think of a way to distract Dean and he knew just how to do it. "Were you serious Dean?"

Dean was still figuring out his next shot. "About what?" He questioned without taking his eyes off the table.

"Devon." Sam saw Dean's hesitation when he was about to lower himself to line his cue up with the cue ball once again.

Dean mulled over the thought a bit before he spoke. "Oddly yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He nonchalantly asked while he pulled back his cue a couple times, getting the motion perfect before he executed the shot.

Sam shrugged. "Oh I don't know, how about the fact that you practically jumped down the kid's throat when you saw him kissing Casey." Sam timed the statement perfectly so that when he mentioned Dean's reaction to seeing Devon kissing Casey, it had caused Dean to mess his shot up, causing the cue ball to miss its target by a millimeter. Sam smirked victoriously when he heard his brother curse, before he straightened up with an expressionless mask on his face.

Dean walked to where Sam was standing. "Gut reaction." That's all the older Winchester said as he switched spots with his brother, causing Sam to take his position for his shot.

"That's all you're gonna say?" Sam questioned, keeping his eyes on the table as he figured out his first shot. _Aim for stripes, Sam. _

Dean grabbed his beer and took a swig. "I rather not talk about it Sam. Can we just play?"

Dean didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to play a game of pool with his brother after the week he has had. He just wanted to have some fun after getting his ass thrown around by that very pissed off spirit back in Atlanta. He just wanted to celebrate the fact that they were back with their sister, where they could see for themselves that she was physically okay. Dean took a quick glance at where he knew the youngest Winchester was at, seeing her wrapped around Derek before moving around the table until she was in Devon's arms. He chuckled when he saw the far away scene before him. She may be off hanging out with Devon and toying with Derek at the moment, but at least he knew that she was okay, he could see that she was okay and Dean was just too damn happy for the fact that his family was whole once again…well, as whole as he was gonna get.

Unaware by his brother's thoughts and quick glances towards their sister, Sam lowered his body to align his cue for his first shot. "When are we supposed to talk about it Dean? Casey only has one night with Devon and that's tonight." He calmly stated before he took his shot, sinking a stripe ball into the side pocket.

The beer bottle was returned to the table before Dean ran a hand over his face as he exhaled deeply; brought on due to the topic and the fact that Sam sunk a ball in. "What do you want me to say Sam?" Dean shook his head before locking eyes with his brother. "I know I freaked out but that's who I am. You know I'm very protective of Casey when it comes to guys." Dean exclaimed, not really sure what Sam expected him to say. He knew he freaked out but it's not like he's use to seeing his little sister being all comfortable with a guy. He has four years of catching up to do when it came to Casey, in the sense that he now had to get use to the fact that it wasn't just him and Sam that would be out hunting for dates and for some action…but now his sister would want in on some action of her own too. Dean shivered at the thought. _She's growing up too fast!_

Sam could see the slight apprehension on his brother's face when he straightened up. Sam sighed. "I know Dean but it usually takes a lot more convincing for you before you agree to any guy for her." He reasoned to his brother slowly as he moved around the table, already spotting where his next shot would be.

Dean threw his free hand up in frustration while the other firmly held his cue stick by his side. "I don't know." Sam paused in his step, looking questioning at Dean. "Sam, I just…I mean I saw the way they were looking at each other and I just…I couldn't be mad at the guy just because he cares about our sister." Dean managed to stumble out the words as he remembered the way he saw Devon looking at Casey with such admiration that it kind of threw Dean off when he first noticed it. The more information Dean gathered about Devon McCloud, the more he saw the look strengthen between the two of them and he just couldn't believe it. He hadn't seen that look in a long time and it kind of had him worried and yet curious as to why it wasn't _Devon_ that Casey was crushing on.

Sam noticed the look on Dean's face so he didn't bother to interrupt his thoughts. Instead he just returned to his alignment and pocketed another striped ball into the corner pocket. Dean gave no indication that he had noticed that Sam had just tied the game between them. "He's the first guy Dean. You know that right?" Sam finally spoke softly, trying not to startle Dean, as he moved to his next shot which was right where Dean was standing.

Dean nodded. "I put that together, yeah." Dean had made the connection during the conversation and he honestly wasn't expecting it. He had just met the guy that Casey had given her trust to, the first one outside the family, outside of her brothers who knew the real her. He knew about her past, knew about what she's had to do; he knows everything and yet there he was, standing with his arms around her, looking at her as if she was the most fragile thing in the world when he knew that she could easily take him and anything that stood in her way down in a flash. There was no judgement, no resentment on what she's done as a hunter, just admiration for the brunette and Dean just couldn't be angry at Devon for that. _He treats her like a normal teenage girl. _He mused to himself as he recalled the smile he'd seen on Casey's face when he said that he accepted the dynamic between the _college boy_ and his sister. "And the smile on her face when I said that I was okay with him." Dean couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Sam smiled too. "It meant the world to her." He commented as he chalked the tip of his cue.

Dean nodded as he crossed his arms. "Yeah." Dean couldn't stop thinking about the best friends. Some things didn't quite add up. "Hey, did she ever mention why they broke up?" He questioned his brother, hoping that he knew the answer.

Sam mulled over the question in his head, trying to recall the emails in his mind. "I never got the impression that they were dating from the emails." He admitted as he put the chalk down before switching his attention back to the table and his next move.

Dean scoffed. "Well that impression can be thrown out the window because they definitely dated when they were in Toronto together." Dean huffed in annoyance, for the fact that he didn't know about one crucial relationship that could have affected Casey so dramatically.

Sam remembered the kiss he saw between Casey and Devon earlier and he couldn't help but laugh. _Yup, they definitely dated. _"Point taken." He replied as he lowered his body into a new position before sinking another striped ball into the pocket in the far corner. "They probably broke up because of the move." He added in as he moved around the table.

"Which was three years ago." Dean retorted back, not believing that what was between Casey and Devon in the past was truly over.

Sam rolled his eyes as he lined himself up for another shot. "He did say it was complicated." He reminded his brother just before he executed the shot but unfortunately for Sam, the ball missed the intended pocket.

"Everything in Casey's life has been complicated since she moved up here." Dean grumbled under his breath, low enough for Sam to hear him over the music, yet his mood had brightened when he saw that it was finally his turn again.

Sam shrugged his shoulder as he headed towards their table. "True, why the sudden interest?" He questioned before he grabbed his beer and took a small swig of his beverage.

Dean chalked up his cue before immediately lining up his shot, already knowing where it was the moment Sam had missed. "I wanna know what changed between them." He stated before he executed a flawless shot, sinking a solid ball into the side pocket.

Sam quirked an eyebrow as he waited for an elaboration but he never got one. "Meaning?"

Dean sauntered over to the side of the pool table closest to his brother before he leaned his back against the table, standing face to face with Sam. "If what I saw between those two was pure couple's bliss, then why the hell is she in love with Nora's stepson and not with Devon?" Pure confusion and irritation was laced in Dean's voice as he chalked his cue once again.

Sam's eyes widened as he quickly looked around him, his beer still in his hands. "Could you say it any louder?" He rushed out, hoping no one had heard his brother's statement.

Dean quirked an eyebrow in amusement for his brother's paranoid behavior. "I kept my voice down and I know you're dying to find out as well." He accused as he placed the chalk back in its spot.

Sam groaned. He couldn't disagree with his brother because he did want to find out just like Dean wanted to. "We can't just ask Dean."

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, defiantly. "Why the hell not? Like you said, tonight's the only night that Devon will be in town." The older Winchester retorted back, using his brother's earlier words against him.

Sam swirled the bottle in his hand around, causing the liquid inside to slosh along the sides. "That doesn't mean I want to spend the night interrogating him? Casey won't like that." Sam argued back as Dean turned his attention back to their game.

"Don't think of it as interrogation, think of it as bonding with him, I guess." Dean reiterated his plan in a different way so that it would be more acceptable for his brother, as he bent down to make his upper body parallel with the table while aligning his cue for the shot.

Sam scoffed. "With hidden agendas."

Dean smirked while keeping his eye on the cue ball and his next target. "Few technicalities. Besides you heard him, Casey's spoken about us a lot so he's bound to be expecting some form of questioning from us. We wouldn't want to disappoint now, would we?" He finished as her performed the required stroke to get his next ball in the far corner pocket. Dean grinned victoriously as he stood up and moved around the table again.

Sam rolled his eyes, taking another small swig of his beer. "Whatever Dean but no deception."

Dean gave Sam an incredulous look, laced with some mock hurt, as if the statement had wounded him somehow. "What do you take me for?" Dean was amused, since a hunter's life was all about deception if they wanted to get the job done.

Before Sam could answer his brother, someone else did. "A guy who's stalling?" The stranger said with a smirk on his face, as if he was being humorous. He seemed to think he was since his buddy snickered in response.

Dean quirked at Sam, who just shrugged his shoulders, before he turned around to face the stranger. "Excuse me?" Dean questioned the older man with an intimidating vibe to his voice while being polite, even if he didn't want to be. _Casey wouldn't be pleased if I started a fight tonight of all nights. _He reminded himself.

"If you guys are just gonna talk, then sit at a table and let others have a go at the game." The stranger complained as he looked between the brothers while his buddy remained silent yet he had a cocky grin on his face.

Dean sized the two men up to see if they were of any threat. _Probably some regulars that think they could scare away the newcomers. _Dean mused to himself before an idea struck him. "Would you by chance be interested in a game against me?" The oldest Winchester offered with a charming yet innocent smile directed at his potential opponent.

Sam stiffened once the words left his brother's mouth. "What about our game Dean?" He asked, trying everything he could to stop Dean from conning anyone tonight. He figured he'd have a game or two with Dean before Casey showed up but then the two older guys had to butt in and imply that they wanted their pool table. _This isn't gonna be good! If Dean gets himself into a fight, Casey is gonna flip. _Sam was mentally freaking out because he didn't want to disrupt Casey's graduation night.

Dean glared at his brother, his eyes telling him to back off and let him do his job. "I know the score, we'll finish up later once Casey gets back." Dean told his brother as his expression now told Sam to just go with it. Sam sighed causing Dean to smirk and turn back to the two older men. "Well fellas?"

The two guys looked to each other in question before turning to Dean. "I just wanted the table." The first guy mentioned, a little hesitantly, while the silent guy just nodded.

Dean gave a throaty laugh as he pulled out his wallet and took out a couple bills, insinuating that he wanted to play for money. "What'd ya say now?" Dean grinned at his opponents, pulling off the façade that he was a cocky college grad who thought he could beat anyone.

Sam could see the wheels turning in the two strangers' eyes, figuring it would be easy money for them to play Dean. _Boy, are they wrong. _He mused to himself. Although, Sam didn't like it when Dean hustled people out of their hard earned cash, it was amusing to watch how the game turned out and how Dean played whatever role he wanted his opponent to believe in.

The first guy turned back to Dean. "I say, rack 'em up." He proclaimed as his buddy took out his wallet to match Dean's cut.

Dean Winchester did as he was told while silently smirking inside.

_Like taking candy from a baby. _

* * *

Casey and Derek released their hand shake that officially put their little bet into motion, both of them now noticing the rest of the table's amused expressions.

"You don't know what you just signed up for Derek." Devon quipped before taking another swig of his beer just after Casey's right arm wrap around his waist, as her left arm remained around his shoulder.

Derek scoffed. "Oh please. This game will be over before you know it." He proclaimed with a cocky grin as he stared at his stepsister, who was practically draped over his friend. Derek still had the urge to rip Casey away from Devon, not liking how touchy-feely she got with the guy. _There's a lot more touching with him than I've seen from her and her previous boyfriends. _He pushed the observation to the back of his mind.

Casey turned to smirk at Derek. "I agree." She confidently stated but her attention was turned to the starting of a new song **_["Dynamite"]_ **playing over the sound system causing her to smile. "We'll do it later though." She told her pseudo-stepbrother before turning to Devon.

Derek gave his stepsister a stunned look. _I thought she wanted to do this now? _"What?"

Casey turned back to Derek quickly. "I wanna dance." She turned back to Devon, her mouth just by his ear. "Ready Hun?" She whispered, causing Devon to laugh.

"Like I would miss it." Devon teased before swallowing the last of his beer and placing it on the table.

Casey twirled out of Devon's arms and faced the rest of the guys as Devon got out of his seat. "See ya boys in a few!" She stated excitedly before Devon took her hand and led her to the makeshift dance floor, which was already filling up with dancing customers.

The recent graduates watched as their valedictorian strutted to the dance floor with their good friend before they started dancing to the music in a way that shocked the three friends.

Ralph couldn't take his eyes off his friend, not sure what to think about her. "Dude, what has gotten into your stepsister?" Ralph finally managed to ask before he had managed to tear his gaze away from her to look at Derek.

Derek shook his head, equally shocked at what he was seeing as well as learning about her that day. _Can this day get any weirder?_ "I have no clue." It was the honest truth.

Ever since he saw Casey with Sam and Dean Winchester, he'd seen parts of Casey that he didn't know existed and now seeing her with Devon and the rest of his hockey friends, it just had more questions forming in his head about how well he truly knew who Casey McDonald was.

Carter shrugged his shoulders after seeing what the fuss was about, since he was use to that behavior from his friends, even though it had been awhile since he's seen it. "She seems like the same ol' Casey that I remember." He piped in before taking a swig of his beer.

Tyler, on the other hand, couldn't take his lusting eyes off the legendary brunette. "Just hotter." He subconsciously added in before getting a smack to the back of his head, causing him to search for the perpetrator, coming face to face with a glaring Alex. "What the hell was that for?" Tyler questioned with a quizzical expression.

Alex glared at Tyler before taking another gulp of his beer. "I don't need you reminding me who I screwed up with Ty." Alex grumbled over the fact that he still held a grudge against the brunette even after he claimed to have moved on from her long ago.

Tyler rolled his eyes while rubbing the back of his head. "Just an observation and I thought you were over her." He gave his grumpy roommate a challenging look.

Alex was pulled into his thought as his brief time with Casey was brought to the forefront. He couldn't deny the fact that he had a great time with her and he still wished it didn't end prematurely and on such a bad note. He was skeptical of her rules but the fact that she was only dating for the fun factor was a plus for him since Alex didn't _do_ relationships. So when she suggested that he pick out where they had their dates, he doubted the rumors of her being able to turn any date to her advantage, so he took her to places where he previously had his dates complain about it not being date appropriate, like a horror film or something athletic for them to try. To his surprise, she made the best out of the dates and he ended up having a blast with a girl without any of the intimate stuff, which was the main reason why he would date in the first place. _Girls usually talk about themselves nonstop or on something I have no interest in and the only way to shut them up is to make out with them. It's a pleasurable way to spend a date but a guy might want a little variety every now and then. _Alex mused to himself. He's dated a lot since then but he always remembered his few dates with Casey.

Alex quickly snapped out of his thoughts. "I am." He retorted back a bit too quickly, causing Tyler to snicker.

"Yeah right. Just give it up man. It's in the past and besides, you wouldn't have lasted more than a week with her. No one did." Tyler sadly told his friend, which only prompted Alex to take another swig of his dwindling beer. Even though in the back of Tyler's mind, he'd always wanted a shot with her, even though he knew that it wouldn't last long. He'd just wanted to have a taste of what it would've been like, to see for himself what the whole fuss was about. He hated it when he was left in the dark.

"Except Devon." Carter added in, not wanting to interrupt his friends yet finding the need to clarify Tyler's statement.

Tyler waved off Carter's interruption as he took a quick sip of his beer. "Yeah but I think that's only because they became like best friends or something before they started to date."

Derek's head snapped to his older friends, his eyes wide from shock. "What?"

* * *

The dance floor had the perfect amount of people surrounding it as it wasn't too sparse that it would cause some nervousness among the dancers yet it wasn't cramped that the dancers might have a slight claustrophobic feeling. Casey and Devon weaved in just a bit so that they weren't on the outsides of the dance floor yet they had perfect views of their friends and the two hunters playing pool.

As the words started to pour out of the speakers, Casey and Devon were dancing so close together without touching that it was unbearable for the both of them. Casey swayed her hips to the music while bobbing up and down in her small space while Devon filled in the dancing gaps between them.

She teased him with the way she moved her body so fluidly with the music, as she let the rhythm course through her veins as she freely moved to the beat, knowing that he was there to take care of her if she needed it. She couldn't stop the huge smile on her face as she danced with her best friend, because she was able to be herself with him, her Winchester self and she hasn't felt that free in the longest time. The youngest Winchester couldn't help but tease the teenager before her with her dance moves, coming so close to him without touching that she could hear his groans of disappointment or his breath hitching just a bit. She had an evil smirk as she turned in her place, her back now against his chest as she continued to sway her hips.

Devon couldn't help the groan that escaped him when she switched positions. He fought every need he had that wanted to have his hands run over her body like they had done many times before, but he knew he couldn't make the first move. Best friend or not, Devon always respected Casey's rule about her being the one to instigate anything further and he wasn't going to screw that up now. It got harder for the university student to concentrate as her neck was exposed from her leather covering; tempting him to kiss it and have a taste while her hips moved in a more distinct way that was causing his lower region to react.

He groaned into her neck, making sure he did not make contact with her soft skin. "You're killing me here Cay." Devon grumbled, causing goosebumps to form as his breath flowed over her exposed neck.

Casey laughed. "That was the idea." She continued to move her body to the music as Devon mirrored her actions without touching her.

It was getting too much for the grown boy. "Permission?" He slightly begged in a whisper as he fought himself to keep his lips off her neck, while also fighting against his need to take her leather jacket off her body. **  
**

Casey smirked as she wrapped her arm behind her head to grab his neck, pulling him down closer to her. "Granted. No need to ask tonight Dev." She licked her lower lip as she felt Devon's arms snake around her waist and under her leather jacket once she gave her consent, thankful that her jacket was already unzipped.

"Thank God." Devon stated enthusiastically before kissing down her neck, causing Casey to giggle. She could feel his smile on her skin as he descended down her neck, while his fingers played with the hem of her shirt.

Casey couldn't help but forget about all her problems while she danced in Devon's arms. He left a trail of kisses on her neck before he blew over them, causing her to shiver at the sudden coldness. She gave a soft moan before she felt his chuckle rumble deep in his chest through her back. She hadn't felt this connected to someone in a long time. After their mutual break up, Casey had never been close to a guy like she was with Devon, she never felt that connection…except with Derek and they weren't even like that. She felt closer to Derek through all those casual touches during their different encounters than she had with any of her boyfriends after Devon. It never made sense to the young hunter until she realized her feelings for the former bane of her existence.

Before Casey could think about the subject any further, she felt her hands being grabbed before she was twirled to face Devon. She eyed him quizzically, while she remained dancing in her spot, not thinking at all about how her body moved to the music.

Devon chuckled. "There's only so much I could do in public." He playfully stated with a suggestive smile as his hands found their spot on her gyrating hips.

Casey swung her arms around Devon's neck as she gave him a disappointed pout. "But who said you could stop?" She teased, making the temptation all the more sweeter for her partner.

Devon groaned, hating when she used that pout against him. "Now that would be torture for us both Cay and you know it." She saw the playful glint in his eyes and she knew it was true. If she didn't watch herself, their promise would be fulfilled sooner than they would like.

Casey sighed dramatically as her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I guess but you know you can't do much when you're in front of my brothers." She told him as a playful warning, not wanting Dean to get all overprotective and do something damaging to her best friend.

Devon leaned his head towards hers. "I'll tone it down when we're with them." He assured her before his lips meet hers in a chaste kiss.

In need of some air, Casey pulled away from the kiss but she still remained close. "Alright but don't say I didn't warn you." She looked up at him with a small smile, finally noticing that the song had changed to one with a slower beat **_["Zombie"]_**.

Devon nodded, knowing that she wasn't kidding. After all the stories he's heard about Sam and Dean Winchester and the lengths they would go through for their sister, he didn't doubt her warning. He already saw the anger in Dean's eyes earlier when Truman was mentioned. _Don't mess with any Winchester. _He mused to himself.

Devon was pulled out of his thoughts quickly when he felt the brunette's hold around his neck tighten as she moved further into his arms. He slipped his hands from her hips and wrapped his arms around her waist when he felt her head against his shoulder. Devon swallowed nervously as a weird feeling overcame him. _Something's not right._ He concluded to himself when she tightened her hold around him once again, as if she was holding on to dear life.

Devon lowered his head down so that his mouth was just at her ear. "Are you okay…" He jerked his head back quickly when he felt Casey pull back a bit. He could see the confused expression on her face. He cleared his throat a bit. "…with this, I mean." He clarified causing her expression to change into an innocent smile.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She questioned, not seeing the problem in their situation. Casey was a little nervous that he might have figured out that something was wrong since she only held Devon, like she was at the moment, when she had a lot on her mind or when she wanted to tell him something yet she had a hard time spitting it out. _The last time I clung to him like this was the day I told him I might be moving and the day that I had to say goodbye to him. _She sadly thought as she waited for his answer.

Devon sighed. "Your break-up was pretty recent." He didn't want to bring it up but if she was still broken up about her cheating ex, then he didn't feel like it was the right time to go through with their promise they had made the day she had moved away to London. Heck, if she still wasn't over Truman, Devon didn't feel like it was right to give her kisses the way he was now as if nothing was wrong. _Maybe only pecks on the cheek are reasonable now. _He sadly thought since he did miss kissing her.

Casey chuckled a bit before a smirk formed on her face. "Did you forget who I am Devon?" She teased because he knew that she could get over dates in a flash if she wanted to and Casey was over Truman, no questions asked. _There was nothing to get over in the first place!_

Devon laughed while his hold around her waist tightened, bringing her in closer to him. "I could never forget who you are, Casey Winchester." He whispered before pulling her into another lustful kiss.

They pulled away again to catch their breath, both remembering how their kisses always made the other breathless. Casey could feel Devon's eyes on her so when she looked up into his blue eyes, she saw this analytical glint in them that sent a nervous shiver down her spine. "What's the problem then?" She questioned, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

Devon continued to gaze into her hazel-green eyes, trying to figure out if she was hiding something from him. "There's something you're not telling me Cay." He whispered, trying not to sound like he was accusing her but she wasn't acting like the girl he remembered. Devon knew everything about Casey and something inside of him was telling him that she was hiding something from him, something huge.

Casey adverted her eyes; taking in her surroundings and seeing all the other couples dancing slowly to the beat. "What'd you mean?" The young hunter whispered, wishing that the song would change so that it was upbeat, so that it didn't give Devon the opportunity to question her. The youngest Winchester was also contemplating on distracting her partner even more by giving his exposed neck a few butterfly kisses, just to take his mind off of what he wanted to know, but Casey knew that it would just delay the inevitable. Devon was always persistent if he had a hunch. If someone told him to back off, he would but only to bring the subject up again later until he got an honest answer. It was both endearing and a little annoying at times.

Devon sighed. "I know that we haven't talked since you moved but you can still tell me anything Cay." He removed one of his hands from around her waist and used it to turn her head towards him, so that she was looking at him. "I'm still you're best friend, right?" He questioned because he wasn't really sure.

He felt terrible that he hadn't stayed in contact with her like they had hoped. They had emailed each other at the beginning just after the move but then they started dwindling down as school and hockey became more demanding for him and he figured it would be easier for her to adjust to her new step-family if he stayed out of it for awhile. Unfortunately, they never picked up the emails again and he truly regrets that. Devon couldn't help but make a new promise to himself that he wouldn't let that happen again.

Casey's eyes widened in shock; the mere idea of Devon not being her best friend anymore was unthinkable. "Of course you are." She breathed out.

Devon gave a small smile at the confirmation. "Then talk to me." She could see the pleading in his crystal blue eyes, begging for her to tell him what was bugging her, and Casey wanted to but she just couldn't. _I can't tell him, he's friends with Derek. _

Casey bit her lip nervously. "I don't want to wreck tonight Dev." She buried herself again into his arms, still worrying over the way he might react if he found out about her feelings towards Derek. _It was hard enough admitting them to Sam and Dean, how can I tell Devon when he's a friend of Derek's?_

He nodded along, thinking her response as a slight victory since she didn't deny that she was hiding something from him. "Alright but could you answer me this?" He questioned as he loosened his hold around her waist, his hands now under the hem of her shirt as he traced faint circles on her skin.

Casey could feel the goosebumps forming everywhere Devon's fingers touched her skin. "It depends." She grumbled against his neck, her arms still around his neck.

"Are you and Derek always like that?" He whispered before placing a few kisses behind her ear.

Casey bit her lower lip to suppress a moan. "You mean with the fighting?" She heard him groan as he continued to assault her with kisses just below her ear. Casey sighed. "Yes…pretty much since day one. Why?" She questioned as he moved his kisses along her jawbone before answering her question with another bruising kiss.

Devon pulled back with a smirk on his face as he shrugged. "It was just amusing to watch." He protested, finally noticing that the next song was more fast-paced **_["Whine Up"]_**. _Can't really talk now. _

Casey laughed. "So I've been told." She retorted before Devon twirled her, getting them both back into the dancing vibe to match along with the song, yet still remaining close to each other's bodies.

* * *

Derek couldn't believe what he just heard. "What did you just say?" He questioned, after a few false starts.

Derek had been listening to their conversation but all it did for him was make him more confused because the way they were speaking of the brunette didn't bring Casey to mind, even if it was her that they were talking about. Derek tried to process their conversation through his confused brain while his attention was still on Casey and Devon, not able to take his shocked eyes off of them. Derek kept glaring at the sight of how effortlessly they moved together, or how into the song they were or how into each other they seemed to be. Casey was smiling, laughing and pretty much having a blast and deep down Derek was happy about that but a more dominate emotion took over that made him unappreciative of his stepsister's current state. He didn't like that it was _Devon_ that was giving her such a reaction and he still didn't get why he was feeling the way he was. _If I was going to place the emotion, I'd have to say that I felt it a few times when I dated Kendra and Sally when we had the Andre and Patrick incidents…but I was jealous then._ Derek's thoughts were even more confused now. _Why do I feel jealous towards Devon and Casey?_

Carter, Alex and Tyler looked confusedly between one another before shifting their gaze to their three stunned friends; Derek was shocked out of them all. Tyler cleared his throat. "Ugh, Casey and Devon were best friends before they dated?" It came out as more of a question but Tyler wasn't sure if that was what Derek wanted, which didn't make sense to either of the university students.

Derek rubbed his hand over his face. "Yeah, that – that doesn't make sense." He protested, wishing that he had a bottle of beer in his possession at the moment.

Alex's brow furrowed in confusion. "You didn't know?"

Derek gave his friends an incredulous look. "Are you fucking kidding me? I _just_ found out that she knew you guys, so how the hell would I have previously known that Devon was my stepsister's best friend?" His anger was rising the further he got into his rant because to the graduate, the new information just seemed all too surreal for him. He didn't want to believe any of it, he couldn't believe any of it. He was perfectly fine with the keener Casey that he had come to know inside and out over the past three years but now, he didn't know what to think about his stepsister.

Carter's hands where up in a surrendering motion. "Relax D, it's just hard to process the idea that you didn't know." He explained calmly, remembering perfectly that Derek had a temper at times. Carter had to hold back a smug smirk because he had a slight idea of what the true source of Derek's outburst was coming from.

Tyler took another sip of his beer. "Yeah, I mean, we all know Casey has a mysterious side to her but we figured you would've known since you've been living with her." He rambled on with his explanation but that only caused the recent graduates to look between themselves with confused expressions on their faces before they looked to their older friends.

"A what side?" Ralph questioned.

Carter, Alex and Tyler could hear the genuine confusion in Ralph's voice over the music. They kind of figured that it was just Ralph not putting the pieces together fast enough, but that idea was thrown out the window when they saw the confused looks on both Sam and Derek's faces.

"Wait, do you know anything about Casey's time in Toronto?" Carter asked, immediately getting a negative nod from Ralph.

Derek shrugged nonchalantly, even though he was dying of curiosity inside. "Not really, she doesn't talk about her past that much."

"That's because you were never interested." Sam retorted back, remembering back to when Casey first moved to London and how Derek wanted absolutely nothing to do with her except to mess with her life.

"Well, you dated her Sam, so did she talk about her past at all?" Derek challenged his best friend, not wanting to admit that his statement before was true. That bit of news caused the three university students to stare wide-eyed at Sam, who, none of them knew, had dated Casey.

Sam saw everyone's eyes on him and gulped. "Not really, just vague points and that was it." He confessed as he remembered the short time where he and Casey had dated, which had consisted of more fights than getting-to-know-you moments.

Derek smirked victoriously. "So I'm not the only one in the dark then." Derek turned from his best friend to his hockey buddies. "Care to share boys?"

Carter scratched the back of his neck, a little hesitant on telling them about his good friend's past. "I dunno, it's not really our story to tell."

Derek glared at the reluctant hockey player. "Don't pull that bull on me Carter, you guys are talking about Casey in a way that I don't recognize and I'm her god damn stepbrother! I deserve to know." He argued back, not really sure where his sudden need to know the truth about Casey was coming from, but all he knew was that the questions weren't going to stop unless he knew what they were talking about.

Tyler smirked. "C'mon Carter, what harm would it do?" He challenged his friend, hoping that he would help him out with the telling of Casey McDonald's time in Toronto since Alex might put up a bit of resistance.

Carter groaned. "I swear Ty, if she finds out, I am not taking the blame for it. You got that?" He gave his friend a look that told him he wasn't kidding around. Carter was very good friends with Casey and he didn't want her being mad at him and he's seen what she's like if someone crosses her. It's not like he wants her to treat him the same way she treats Alex.

Tyler waved off his friend's slight warning. "Whatever man, I still can't believe you're still scared of Casey." He quipped causing Derek to quirk his eyebrow in amusement at the idea of Carter being scared of Casey. Granted, there were times in the past when Casey was so intense that it did freak Derek out a bit, like when she was freaking out about Ralph being in love with her that one weekend and none of her tactics to get Ralph to change his mind had worked.

Carter rolled his eyes. "I was never scared of Casey. I'm just fully aware of what she's capable of, unlike you, who still has his head up in the clouds when it concerns her." He retorted back with a smug smile directed at Tyler, who was gritting his teeth.

"Do not."

Alex rolled his eyes as he took another swig from his beer. It was no secret to the guys that Tyler was lusting after Casey during her time with them. Tyler never acted on it because of his girlfriend of the time but there were always those subtle glances he made towards the brunette while he tried to suppress his curiosity.

Carter scoffed. "Do too. Take your own advice to Alex and give it up."

Tyler shrugged, not really denying the little infatuation he had. _All I want is one kiss. _He thought to himself. "Can't blame a guy for dreaming now can you?" He questioned before taking a small sip of his beer.

Carter rolled his eyes. "Just be glad that Devon isn't the jealous type otherwise he would've been kicking your ass a long time ago, whether you were friends or not."

Tyler scoffed. "You're overreacting."

Derek saw the smug smirk form on Carter's face as he directed his attention to his friend. "Am I? Devon is the most protective guy over Casey that I have ever met and that was once they became friends. Add the protection of him being her _best_ friend and boyfriend…" Derek was taken back by Carter's comment, not truly believing in what he was hearing. _Did Devon care that much for Casey?_

Tyler groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Derek quickly looked between Carter and Tyler. "Well, I don't, so start over."

Alex moaned as he started rubbing the sides of his head, irritated about the constant talk about his ex-girlfriend. "Must we talk about Casey?"

"I rather not but I want answers and I know that she won't give them to me herself." Derek nonchalantly stated, trying to make it sound like he only wanted to know out of curiosity and the mere fact that he could learn something to use against his stepsister later. _It's not like I'm truly interested about her past...right?_ He couldn't help but silently question his sudden interest.

Carter turned to Alex. "Can't you guys put your differences aside for one night?" He asked as he referred to the bitterness Casey and Alex had towards one another earlier.

"I have nothing against Casey anymore, I'm over it." Alex reassured his friends because he too wasn't really sure why he was as hostile as he was with her earlier. They've hung out as a group after their break up so why did it seem like he was holding onto the grudge?

Derek scoffed. "Riiiight. So the bitterness between you two was always there?" He interjected with a raised brow, as if challenging the goalie to deny his statement.

"Shut up." Alex grumbled before taking a much needed swig from his beer.

"What happened anyways?" Ralph asked curiously.

Alex glared at the drumming graduate. "Let's just leave it at a drunken mistaken, okay?"

"I guess that's better than cheating on her when you're sober, huh?" Derek retorted with a slight glare, which caught Alex by surprise.

"How'd you-"

"She mentioned her rules system earlier, which I'm still confused about, but anyways, she said her recent ex and you broke the same rule. She dumped the scum since he cheated, therefore…" Derek trailed off since everyone else seemed to make the connection.

Sam looked at his friends with a puzzled expression. "What rules exactly are we talking about?"

The three university students looked between each other before coming to a silent conclusion that Alex would be the one to explain that part of Casey's past since he had personal experience with the situation.

And so, Alex told the three graduates what exactly Casey's dating rules were when it came to her time at Fletcher Academy. He told them about the time limit (six dates in one week), her reasons for dating (nothing serious, just out to have a blast), her motives (like her subtle hints to initiate anything like a kiss) and her rules that would terminate the fling prematurely if they were ever broken (like cheating on her or forcing themselves onto her). Alex even went as far as sharing the fact that he did have fun with Casey on their dates and that he was stupid enough to get drunk during his limited time with her.

Derek was having trouble absorbing Alex's compliments about Casey when they had dated. He couldn't believe it since him and Alex were similar in many aspects (but not so extensively), so Derek couldn't fathom how Alex would enjoy the brunette's company while Derek couldn't stand living or being in her presence a majority of the time since they've met. Sure Derek and Casey have had their rare moments and they have become tolerable to one another over the years but with Alex's description, 15-year old Derek _should_ have gotten along quite well when he first met Casey. _Why wasn't that the case? _Derek couldn't help but wonder.

There were many questions about why guys would date Casey if they knew that they only had a week with her and that's where Tyler started his explanation, which revolved around the rumors about the legendary brunette that had circulated throughout their all-boys high school. Tyler justified that part of his infatuation towards Casey was because of the rumors since he wanted to know for himself whether they were true or not. He told the wide-eyed graduates how everyone wanted some face time with the new, hot Fletcher Freshman since she was able to turn a date into an amazing time before anything _intimate_ would happen between them. She was deemed legendary due to all the great opinions guys would have of her afterwards due to her charismatic ability to make them feel comfortable around her as if she's known them for a couple years and there was no awkwardness after the time was up.

Tyler was completely out of breath after all the praising he'd done on the brunette. "Does that answer questions?" He looked between his shocked friends who were still digesting the information.

Derek cleared his throat. "That doesn't sound like my stepsister at all. She doesn't party, she doesn't date a lot since she's always absorbed into her school work-" He honestly stated as he looked back towards the dance floor to see her slow dancing with Devon even though the music was a little fast for it.

"That didn't seem to change." Carter interrupted causing the boys to furrow their brows in confusion.

Ralph tilted his head in confusion. "What part?"

Carter shrugged. "School work. Somehow, Casey always managed to finish any school work before school hours were up. She rarely did anything school related after hours unless there was a project or a test coming up or if it was one of her clubs." He explained, reassuring the fact that Casey was still focused on her academics even when she was a 'serial dater'.

"Therefore, leaving her open to date, party, go to games and hang out with us." Tyler concluded.

"Every night?" Derek asked in disbelief since Casey rarely went anywhere fun unless it was the weekend. She was either at Emily's house, school or the library.

Alex nodded his head. "Basically yeah."

"What about her mom?" Sam added in, causing Derek to nod along with his approval for the question.

Carter smirked as he remembered meeting Casey's optimistic mother one time. "As long as Casey maintained her grades, her mom let Casey do whatever she wanted since she was responsible enough to take care of herself. She even joked around sometimes that she was responsible enough to live out of a hotel room if she wanted to." He laughed whenever he thought of the idea, which the brunette had brought up multiple times in the past. Every time she said it, it was always in a way that no one ever knew if she was dead serious or just fooling around with the idea but she did always laugh it off.

Derek smirked as the comment described Casey's responsibility to a tee. His expression faltered a bit when he remembered something Tyler had said moments ago. "Wait, games?" He questioned as he looked towards Tyler.

Tyler furrowed his brow in confusion due to the puzzled look on Derek's face but he answered the question. "Yeah, mainly hockey games but if she dated a jock and he happened to have a game during their week together, she'd go and cheer him on before celebrating at the party with everyone else." Derek and Sam's eyes widened once again as they looked to one another.

"Hockey games?" Sam asked; in need of some clarification.

Carter nodded his head. "Yeah, after she started hanging with Devon and the rest of us, she came to our practices and games. She's very supportive." Derek and Sam continued to stare at Carter in shock, remembering all the times that Casey had told them she despised the game or how she thought it was barbaric or an immature sport.

"What?" Alex grumbled, not really like the looks on his friends' faces.

Sam shook his head while Derek scratched the back of his neck. "Nothing, it's just she's shown a dislike for hockey ever since she's moved in with me and my family." Derek explained as he tried to make sense of all the new 'Casey facts' he's been learning that night.

Alex took another gulp of his beverage. "Maybe you should ask her about that." He suggested and Derek couldn't help but agree with his goalie friend as he looked out onto the dance floor to see his stepsister still dancing with his good friend.

He was about to return his focus back to his friends, not wanting to feel the unknown feelings again when he looked at the way Casey was with Devon, but he couldn't turn his attention away because something wasn't right. _Something's wrong with Casey._

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Casey was having a blast dancing with Devon as she allowed herself to act so carefree and being _her_ once again but she suddenly felt her body tense up all of a sudden. She was still dancing but her body was more rigid and she couldn't figure out why. She was still dancing very close to Devon, so he noticed her tense up but he too didn't understand the cause of it.

"You okay?" Devon whispered into her ear as she slowed down her dancing, as she tried to figure out why her body felt like she was on high alert.

"I dunno." She replied back while trying to place the feeling she was having. She's had it before, many times she's sure, but she knows for a fact that she hadn't felt it in awhile.

Casey couldn't help but look towards the table where they had left their friends as the sinking feeling inside of her kept growing. She locked eyes with Derek, who had his head cocked to the side as he looked at her questioningly, and she couldn't help the deep breath she let out after seeing that he was fine as he was surrounded by his friends but the feeling was still there.

Casey's eyes widened when another thought entered her mind, causing her to rip her gaze from Derek and to focus on the area where the pool tables were located. She searched for the two people she needed to see and she didn't like what she was seeing from where she stood since it confirmed the reason for her sudden tension in her body.

Before Devon could process anything, Casey was pushing her way through the crowd as she made her way towards the back, not liking the fact that her older brother had gotten himself into a little situation.

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When Derek locked eyes with Casey, he could sense that something was wrong with her and he knew he was right by the worried expression he saw on Devon's face. Derek had this sudden need to go to Casey and ask her what was wrong and why she was acting the way she was but before he knew it, she broke their eye contact to look towards the pool tables prior to taking off in that direction.

He turned to see Devon trying to get Casey's attention before he went after her himself and before Derek knew it, he was out of his seat and making his way towards Casey's destination as he ignored the rest of his friends' questions because he didn't care. All he knew was that deep down inside him, Casey needed _his_ help and he felt inclined to give it to her, unknown feelings aside.

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**Music Disclaimer: **I don't own the songs used in this chapter. It was just used for solely entertainment purposes only. (I hope that covered it)

"_Dynamite_" belongs to Taio Cruz and his record label.

"_Zombie_" belongs to Natalia Kills and her record label.

"_Whine Up_" belongs to Kat Deluna and her record label.

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A/N #4: **So what did you think? Is anyone conflicted between being a Dasey or Cason fan? What do you think Casey's worried about? How'd did you think of the Winchester brothers' conversation at the beginning? How was Derek's reaction to learning a whole new side to Casey...could this change things? **LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! =D**

**A/N #5: **I just summarized Casey's history but it was mentioned in a bit more detail in the previous chapter just in case you want to brush up on her '_freshman frenzy_' phase. I had planned to have it talked out but then that would have been _too_ long. Hope this version was to your liking.

**A/N #6: **Anyways, thanks again for reading and staying along for the ride with me. It's definitely a blast sharing this story with you all. So please **leave me a review **and don't forget to check out the outtakes just in case I get one up in the near future. =D

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Originally Published: **January 24, 2011**  
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	12. Ch 11: Leave Her Out of It!

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 11: Leave Her Out of It!**

**A/N #1: **Hey everyone! So sorry for the long wait but the dialogue kept changing on me while the actions remained the same yet unwritten at that point but I finally got it all done! This chapter will be in celebration of **Jensen Ackles' birthday **(March 1) and **Derek Venturi's birthday **(for this universe, it's on March 2)!

**A/N #2: **I just want to say **thank you to everyone who has been following/reading/reviewing this story (and my outtakes)! **It truly means a lot to me to know that others have an interest with these two amazing fandoms. Thank you so much for all of your support! =D

**A/N #3: **Alright, so I made sure to have this chapter a bit longer since I have some bad news guys...I just got my final outlines for my projects that are due right before exams so I'm going to be swamped...therefore the bad news is that I might not be able to freely write (without feeling guilty about neglecting my homework) anything until after my final exams this semester. I'm so sorry but I hope this chapter will be enough for now. So please enjoy!

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Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine. The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Brandon and Miranda

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston and Carter Wilson

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Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Bully Brothers" (outtake), "Surprise" (outtake – part 1), "Grade A Cheater" and "It's Our Party" (_Der-Bear_)

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Pilot", "Hunted" (slightly) and "Tall Tales"

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Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"The Bully Brothers" (new) and "Surprise – Part 1" (old) **[BOTH POSTED]**

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NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

When Derek locked eyes with Casey, he could sense that something was wrong with her and he knew he was right by the worried expression he saw on Devon's face. Derek had this sudden need to go to Casey and ask her what was wrong and why she was acting the way she was but before he knew it, she broke their eye contact to look towards the pool tables prior to taking off in that direction.

He turned to see Devon trying to get Casey's attention before he went after her himself and before Derek knew it, he was out of his seat and making his way towards Casey's destination as he ignored the rest of his friends' questions because he didn't care. All he knew was that deep down inside him, Casey needed _his_ help and he felt inclined to give it to her.

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[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

It wasn't long before Dean Winchester sunk the 8-ball in the far corner pocket, winning his game against his older opponent (silently nicknamed as _Butch_ by the hunter), causing him to smirk when he heard the older man curse under his breath. Dean slowly straightened himself up while keeping his cocky smirk plastered on his face.

"Game. I win." He stated with a chuckle causing his other opponent to shake his head in a disagreeing way.

"There's no way. You must have cheated." The older man, _Butch_, couldn't help but voice his thoughts since he barely got a shot in the game. He's the one who performed the break shot and he was sinking his shots in until his fourth one when he missed and he hadn't made a shot since. The older man's buddy was simply stunned while Dean's opponent couldn't fathom that he just lost to a _kid_.

The amused winner just shrugged his shoulders. "Afraid not. Now, I'll just take my money…" Dean nonchalantly stated as he moved closer to the pile of bills that were on the edge of the pool table but before he could pocket his winnings, his opponent gripped Dean's wrist to stop him in his tracks.

Dean looked up to see that his opponent was glaring at him. "I don't think so. You hustled me." _Butch_ accused through gritted teeth as Dean raised his eyebrow in amusement.

"You'd like that huh? Then me beating your ass wouldn't be such a defeat for you, but I got news for you pal; I don't hustle." Dean retorted with a straight face but you could see it in his eyes that he was enjoying this. _I gave him my cockiest façade ever and he thinks I hustled? Please, if I wanna hustle someone, I'd pretend to be drunk or distracted on something…or someone. _The oldest Winchester mused to himself as he caught a quick glance of a redheaded girl, who just walked out of the hunter's sights.

Sam Winchester was on the edge of his seat as he watched his brother in the little face off with the older man. He wanted to step in between them and tell them to back off but he knew how the situation would go if he intervened like that. Sam could see the older man tighten his grip on Dean's wrist, causing Sam to tighten his hands into quick fists, not taking his eyes off his target.

Before either brother could visually notice the slight change of their surroundings, they could rather _feel_ the presence of their sister getting closer to them.

"Dean." Sam stated low enough that Dean could hear as he snapped his head quickly to where he last saw Casey. His feeling was confirmed when he saw Casey making her way towards them, with both Devon and Derek on her tail.

Dean turned his head a bit to look back at Sam, who could tell that his brother knew what he was referring to since he felt her presence increasing too. The Winchesters always have been acutely aware of where each of their siblings were ever since they were kids. The feeling was always heightened whenever they felt that trouble or danger was near themselves or near one of their siblings, and right now was a prime example. It wasn't the usual hunting danger that was setting them on a slight high-alert but all three Winchesters knew it in their gut that a fight _could_ break out at a moment and they were ready, they would always be ready to cover each other's backs.

"You better watch what you say _kid_, you don't know who you're messing with." The sore-losing stranger retorted back with an intimidating tone but Dean was unfazed by it. The hunter returned a threatening glare at the older man, who was still holding Dean's wrist and keeping him from his winnings.

Dean never broke eye contact when he spoke but he could feel his sister getting closer. "I had a hunch that you might be the head honcho here the moment you interrupted me and my brother earlier. I knew exactly who I was messing with and I still beat your ass, so pay up." He finished as he moved his hand closer to the money.

_Butch_ jerked his hold on Dean's wrist away from the money. "Not a -"

"Guys, is there a problem here?" The familiar female voice interrupted them once she reached the pool table.

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Casey had finally gotten passed all the customers in the crowd and it seemed like forever but she was relieved that she reached her brothers before anything happened. She could see that Sam was just itching to jump in as he waited on the edge of his seat and she saw that Dean was just about ready to punch the older man out and take the money but she knew he wouldn't do that. On any other night, _maybe_, but she knew Dean wouldn't cause any real trouble for them that night.

Once she made her appearance known, it immediately had gotten Sam and the stranger's attention as Dean was keeping his eyes on his target. She had to resist the urge to gag when she saw the glare on _Butch's_ face turn into an appreciative smirk that was directed right at her as he looked her over.

"Not at all Sweet Cheeks, just a little misunderstanding but I'll get to you in a little bit." _Butch_ cockily stated as if he thought he was charming his way into the youngest Winchester's skirt. None of the Winchesters liked what the older man was implying and all three of them definitely wanted to punch that look he was giving Casey off his face.

Sam gritted his teeth as Casey gave the older man an disbelieving look. "Leave her out of this." Dean growled as he gave the older man a death glare.

_Butch_ turned to look at Dean with his eyebrow raised in a challenging manner. "Why? Afraid she'd like me better than you?" He quipped causing Casey's disgust for the older man to increase.

Dean scowled before turning slightly to face his sister. "_C.D._, go back to your friends." He insisted, hoping that she'd remember the hidden meaning behind his words because Sam had straightened up once the words left his brother's mouth. _Always on the ball Sammy. _Dean mused to himself as he tried to keep the proud smirk from forming on his lips as his coding system was coming into play.

Casey internally froze on the spot when Dean's words registered in her mind. Her first initials; Cassandra Diana. Neither brother ever addressed her like that unless they were initiating a code phrase to her. Once that connection popped up into her brain, the youngest Winchester instantly looked to her anxious brother as she waited for the next part of the code. Once she locked eyes with Sam, he nodded before she moved her gaze to his hand, where he'd given her the situation code in Morse code.

_C…C…G_

Casey quickly rummaged through her mind for the meaning of the acronym, knowing that it dealt with side dealings since numbered codes referred to hunting-related situations. _C.C.G…Cocky College Grad. _She sighed as she processed what Dean's cover was in the situation easily as the hostility was over the fact that Dean wasn't getting his winnings and being accused of cheating. _No wonder he's not backing down. _It was very rare when Dean would give up on a challenge or back down from claiming what was rightfully his. _Like someone else I know. _She couldn't help but muse to herself that comparison.

She quickly joined back into the confrontation as she refused to leave. She knew that both her brothers would be rolling their eyes since she never backed down from a fight. A few seconds later, she saw Sam smirk her way before she felt a very familiar presence just behind her, and she could tell that it was Derek just by his unique scent that evaded her sense of smell.

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Derek had finally reached Casey just when she refused to leave. He couldn't help but scoff at the statement on the inside, knowing that she hadn't backed down from a confrontation before in the past (his encounter with Ryan two years ago was a prime example of that). He quickly moved closer towards her so that he was standing slightly behind her but if he needed to, he could easily move her to stand behind him.

"C'mon Case, let's go back to the guys." Derek suggested as he kept his glance on her side profile as her eyes were still on Dean and his opponent. Derek bent down a bit so that his mouth was just at the shell of her ear. "You can't handle him like you did Ryan Case. The guy looks old enough to be my uncle." He whispered, making sure she heard him over the music. He still thought that what happened between her and Ryan was a fluke but he wasn't so sure after he witnessed her encounter with Truman during their senior prom a few days ago. Derek couldn't help it but he was getting a bad vibe from the older man, who looked to be around his mid-thirties who could be the resident tough guy of the place but Derek did recognize the older man as a former regular at the bar and grill.

Casey heard Derek loud and clear and she couldn't help the smug smirk as she remembered her encounter with Ryan, aka the Fridge, two years ago when he threatened Derek after his little mishap pertaining to the Edwin/Ronnie bullying problem. It was the first time since that day that the incident was brought up again, so she knew that Derek really meant what he had whispered to her.

Casey resisted the urge to say anything in response to Derek as she felt another presence on her left side. She felt her left hand entwine with his but she didn't have to look to know that it was Devon who finally joined them as he too closely hovered over Casey in a protective stance.

_Butch_ gave a curious look at the way both Derek and Devon were standing around Casey before he waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the youngest Winchester as he looked her over once again. "You know Sweet Cheeks, why don't you dump your boy toys here and have a little fun with me." _Butch_ offered, ignoring the three scowls from the teenagers.

Sam was on his feet immediately but before he could go after the douchebag himself, Dean reacted first. "That's it!" He growled before taking a fistful of _Butch's _shirt and pushing him up against the wall, immediately drawing some attention towards them. "Leave my sister out of this!" Dean growled as his arm was pushed firmly into _Butch_'s chest, catching the older man and the two teenage boys off guard, both by the moment and by the words that escaped the oldest Winchester's mouth.

Instinctively, as Dean dealt with the douchebag, Derek and Devon moved closer to Casey as they seemed to entrap her in their arms as if she'd be protected as long as she was with them. All other thoughts were gone from Derek's mind as his only objective was to protect Casey from the older sleazebag. Devon, on the other hand, internally winced at the possibility of Casey having to deal with jerks like this in the future, as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind until now. Although he didn't like it, he was eternally grateful that she could hold her own in a fight because it looked like both Winchester brothers looked like they wanted to pummel _Butch_ to a pulp.

_Butch_ could feel the pressure that Dean was placing on his chest, causing the older man to swallow a little nervously. "Woah, relax man. Just having some fun." He tried to assure the oldest Winchester while raising his hands up as if he surrendered but Dean Winchester wasn't buying it; the dick's eyes were telling the hunter a whole other different story.

Dean applied a bit more pressure as he stepped closer to his target. "Well take your _fun_ somewhere else because no one talks to my sister like that!" He growled out once again, hoping that it was indeed enough for the older idiot to get the message; no one messes with a Winchester and gets away with it.

The crowd around them continued to grow but neither of the participants of the encounter were aware of it…that is until an older man barged through the crowd as he made his way towards them, shouting for the customers to go about their business.

"That's enough, now break it up!" The older man shouted as he finally got through the last layer of the crowd. Casey turned her head to see none other than a pissed off Charlie Galloway, owner of the bar and grill. Charlie was fuming once he set his eyes on the source of the disturbance but his furious gaze turned to one of confusion as he looked to the guy that was pinned up by Dean. "Roy? What the fuck are you doing here?" Charlie questioned _Butch_ with a not-so-pleased expression.

"Getting a beer and playing some pool." Roy, aka _Butch_, answered cheekily as he looked between Charlie and Dean who hadn't loosened his grip on the douchebag's chest.

Charlie groaned. "Roy, you're not supposed to be here because of your stunt last month." He stated as he glared at Roy, who was trying to pull off a confused look but he was unsuccessful.

Sam's brow furrowed as he looked between Roy and Charlie. "What stunt?"

Charlie's jaw was tense as he continued to glare at Roy and Dean, who hadn't taken his death glare off of his target. "Got a couple complaints about his inappropriate comments towards our female customers, they weren't comfortable having him around, which was costing me business." Charlie explained which caused the Winchester brothers to tense up while their sister gave a disgusted look at the older man in question.

"Oh you mean the same type of comments he was just giving Casey?" Dean practically yelled as he applied more pressure to Roy's chest, where the hunter still had him pinned.

Charlie sighed as the missing pieces finally came into place for him. The owner had been keeping a brief eye on the Winchesters after he got reacquainted with them earlier to see how much they had changed and from the looks of it, the trio were respectable and cautious of how they acted so Charlie had been confused on why Dean Winchester would be in the middle of a potential bar brawl. The hunter's furious comment answered his question. _He was always protective of his sister, even back in the day when we first crossed paths. _Charlie couldn't really blame Dean for his reaction towards Roy, who was always a jackass to the ladies who came to the bar and grill.

"Roy, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." Charlie calmly told the pinned up man with a somewhat of a commanding tone.

Roy gave the owner a wide eyed look. "What? Charlie, but he's the one who pinned me down!" He sputtered out, not believing that he had to leave when he's on the receiving end of a few physical blows.

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest. "With good reason Roy."

"Fine," Roy grumbled as he got loose from Dean's hold. The hunter still held his intimidating glare towards his opponent as he brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulders, while he approached the pool table. "I'll just be taking -" Roy made a grab for his money but Dean stepped in his way with his own hand covering over the money.

"Oh, no you're not." Dean snatched up the money and placed it in his pocket as Roy gave him a questioning glare. "Consider it reparations for, huh, my sister's emotional trauma. Now beat it!" The hunter explained before growling at the older man to leave the building. Roy grumbled a few curses under his breath before walking out of the building with his shocked buddy in tow.

The Winchesters were still tense about the scene but once Sam saw that Roy had walked through the exit, he visibly started to relax and in return, so did Casey and Dean. Casey blew out a breath she didn't know she was holding and in return, Devon squeezed her hand out of comfort while Derek's hand subconsciously fell to the small of her back just under her leather jacket. The young hunter could feel the soft circles he was tracing over her shirt while his attention was on Mr. Galloway, Dean and Sam Winchester. Casey was internally grateful that Derek's ministrations were calming her down.

"I'm sorry about him Dean. I didn't know he was here tonight." Charlie apologized as he looked to the oldest Winchester, who had a worried expression on his face that was directed at his sister.

Dean's expression quickly turned to irritation when he answered. "Well he was fine until I beat his ass at pool." He complained but Charlie could see it on the hunter's face that he was grateful that he had stepped in, since the hunter was a split second away from beating the crap out of Roy.

Charlie nodded in understanding before turning his attention to the youngest Winchester. "I'm sorry for whatever Roy said to you Casey. I don't allow that kind of behavior in my bar; makes the customers uncomfortable." He reassured her, hoping that the incident didn't ruin her graduation celebration.

Casey gave an understanding smile. "It's okay. It threw me off just a bit." She stated honestly since she wasn't expecting that type of behavior towards her so soon. The hunter had an inkling that there was a possibility that she would see behavior like that in the future while on the road but she wasn't expecting it now.

Charlie nodded his head once again. "How about I get you three another round of beer?" He suggested as he looked between the three hunters, getting an accepting nod from both the oldest and youngest Winchester.

"Sure. Thanks Charlie." Sam Winchester replied with a thankful grin before he returned to his seat.

"Like I said; no problem." The owner replied just when he was about to place the order in but he stopped in his tracks and turned to face a certain brother. "Oh and Dean?"

Dean looked to Charlie with a curious expression on his face. "Yeah?"

"Don't start anymore bar brawls." Charlie quipped, hoping that it would lighten up the mood.

Dean chuckled. "I'll try my best." Charlie nodded before he turned back around and left the group to their discussion. Dean turned back to face his sister, who was still on the other side of their pool table. "You okay Baby Girl?" He questioned her when he saw that she had this zoned out look on her face.

Derek's smoothing circles on Casey's lower back was doing the trick at calming the hunter down as the whole confrontation replayed in her mind. She remembered how restrained her brothers were acting and it wasn't until Roy's comments kept escalating did Dean react the way he wanted to, but in doing so, he could have possibly destroyed her story in London. _Oh no._

It was a few seconds later that she looked up at her brother with a slightly panicked look. "You called me your sister." Her voice didn't waver but only the brothers could still see the silent panic in her eyes.

Dean could see the wide eyed look on Derek's face as if he'd just remembered that little slip up from earlier, so Dean rushed to find an excuse for that. "What was I supposed to say?" He questioned her as he gave her an incredulous look. "Asshats like him don't back off if a boyfriend tells him to, so saying I was your brother was the next best option." He explained in a huff as he placed his hands on the wooden ledge of the pool table. It was a few seconds later when Dean looked at his sister that she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Face it Case, while we're in this bar, you're my sister."

Casey smiled at her brother as she felt her pseudo-stepbrother slowly tense up again since she felt him suddenly relax when she had brought the slip-up up in the first place. _Was he relaxed earlier because of the brief moment he had confirmation that I could be Dean's sister? _She wondered to herself before she spoke. "Thanks Dean."

Dean waved it off before grinning at his sister. "No worries, I'll always look out for you, you know that."

Casey smirked. "Same here."

"Boy, don't I know it." He joked before turning a little more serious. "Are you really okay?" Dean questioned again after looking at the worried expression that was written on his younger brother's face.

Casey sighed. "I'm fine Dean, to think you went through all that for a bunch of bills?" She quipped as she looked at the jacket pocket that he pocketed the cash earlier.

Dean gave his sister a playful glare. "I have you know that I won a lot of money off of him. He wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I mean." He smirked causing his sister to laugh and his brother to scoff while Derek looked confused while Devon was amused.

Casey shook her head in mock disappointment. "Idiot."

Dean chuckled. "Exactly. He kept thinking that I was bluffing the shots and I wasn't. Serves him right." The oldest Winchester explained as he started resetting the pool table for another game.

"Indeed it does." Casey retorted back, still encased in her Derek/Devon bubble.

Once Dean placed all the colored spheres into the triangle, he grabbed his abandoned cue. "And I told you to leave and go back to your friends." Dean directed at his sister a few moments later while he was chalking his cue.

Casey shrugged. "Did you really think that I would just walk away?" She questioned with an eyebrow raised.

Sam chuckled while Devon scoffed. "I was kind of hoping that you would." Dean voiced his thoughts as he finished chalking his cue. "So, you three joining us or can Sam and I get back to our interrupted game?" The hunter questioned the three teenagers as he looked between them and his brother.

Derek scratched the back of his neck before he spoke. "Actually Casey and I have to play for our bet, so…" He trailed off as he looked between Casey and the brothers before looking over to his friends, who were anxiously waiting at their table.

Dean smirked. "Really? What's the wager?"

"If Casey wins, they have a truce for the night but if Derek wins, there's no truce." Devon explained causing both Winchester brothers to have amused expressions on their faces, already having a pretty good idea how the game was going to end.

"Interesting." Dean grinned at his sister with that mischievous glint in his eyes once again before he turned to his brother. "You know, I could hold off on our game for a bit. What'd you say Sammy?" He questioned with an eyebrow raised as he waited for his brother to answer.

Sam shrugged with a grin plastered on his face, ignoring the use of his childhood nickname once again. "I'm fine with that. Casey could help us out with ours afterwards." He added before looking to his sister, who was looking quite comfortable in her boy-bubble.

Casey tilted her head to the side. "Why? What were you guys betting on?"

Dean smirked as he walked around the pool table. "Not saying until the game is done. Don't need you interfering." He quipped as he stopped just in front of Casey.

Casey gave a mock gasp. "I don't interfere!"

"Whatever you say Baby Girl, but I'm always right." Dean playfully retorted as he handed his cue stick to Casey, who huffed at his statement before taking the proffered cue.

"Not always." Casey grumbled causing Dean to laugh again as he grabbed the other cue for Derek.

"You just keep thinking that." The oldest hunter quipped as he passed the cue stick to Derek before heading back to his seat to down the last of his beer.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother before looking towards the teenagers. "Are the rest of your friends joining us Casey?"

Casey shrugged her shoulders as she moved closer to the pool table but Sam saw Devon motion to the rest of their group to come join them. The Winchester brothers had a feeling that none of Derek's friends wanted to miss out on a game between the guy and his 'stepsister'.

"So Derek, how's your night been since the restaurant?" Sam asked as Derek made his way around the pool table as if he was getting a feel for his surroundings.

Derek shrugged. "Alright, I just want this game over with so that the Princess could stop whining about me being so mean to her." He stated with a little mock irritation in his voice but Sam could see the amusement in his eyes, as if the teenager was expecting something else to happen.

"Hey, the _Princess _is standing right here!" And she didn't disappoint as Casey exclaimed with a huff and a glare as she placed her free hand on her hip while the other hand held her cue stick upright.

Derek chuckled as he finally looked at his stepsister, who was on the opposite side of the pool table. "Not for long, this game will be over before you know it." He declared with a cocky grin as he stared his opponent down.

Casey smirked. "That's what you think."

Dean was finding the banter between the two graduates to be quite amusing. "Who came up with this idea?"

"Devon." Derek and Casey answered simultaneously as they maintained their eye contact with one another.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at the 'stepsiblings' before turning his attention to Devon, who had moved to stand beside Dean once Casey moved closer to the pool table moments before.

"You know kid, I'm liking you more and more. This is definitely going to be entertaining." The oldest Winchester stated with a laugh as he patted Devon on the back.

"Thanks." Devon stated while Dean finally settled into his seat as the rest of the guys finally made it to the pool table.

"Did we miss anything?" Ralph eagerly asked as he slapped Derek on the back as a greeting.

Derek laughed at his friend's excitement. _Who knew one game would interest him so much? _He mused to himself before he answered one of his best friends. "No Ralph, just about to start." The former high school hockey captain stated as Sam and the rest of his hockey friends scattered around the pool table, grabbing another table that had freed up moments ago.

"Yes Derek, why don't you break?" Casey suggested as she walked towards him.

Derek gave his stepsister a skeptical look as he tried figured out in his mind why _she _wouldn't take the opportunity to start the game off. "You sure?"

Casey gave him an innocent smile but she had a mischievous look in her eyes. "I'm sure."

Derek gave her a cocky grin as he shuffled over to line himself up to make the break shot. "Alright but don't complain if you don't get a shot in before the game's done." He quipped as he took his leather jacket off and handed it to his best friend, Sam (who made his way towards the second table where Ralph was waiting), before he had lowered himself down to align his cue stick with the cue ball.

The youngest Winchester gave her challenger an amused expression. "Cocky much?" Her free hand was back on her hip once again.

Derek shifted his attention from the ball formation up to the brunette as he gave her another cocky smirk. "Very." Neither of the graduates broke eye contact until Derek had decided it would be best to start the game now and not because he was feeling something funny inside of him.

Dean gave his younger brother an amused look before clearing his throat, causing his sister to shift her attention towards him. "So Casey, are these three also buddies of yours from Toronto?" He questioned as he looked over towards the three guys, that he didn't recognize, that had arrived with Sam and Ralph.

Casey smiled as she sauntered over to the boys in question. "Yup. Guys meet Carter Wilson…" She gestured to Carter, who gave a slight wave towards the Winchesters. Casey moved passed Carter and made her way to her next friend. "…Tyler Jacobs…" Tyler gave the brothers a beaming smile before she moved to her last friend/ex-fling. "…and Alex Johnston." Casey tried to keep her voice leveled so that her brothers didn't notice anything different as Alex just acknowledged the brothers with a head nod. "They're Devon's roommates and apparently, also friends of Derek's." She finished off before making her way towards Devon.

While Casey was introducing the guys from Toronto, Derek had made the break shot, scattering all the colored spheres around the table and fortunately for Derek, he managed to get a striped ball into one of the side pockets. _Stripes for me_. He mused to himself as he circled around the table just a bit to get ready for his next shot while Casey had made her way over towards Devon.

Sam Winchester gave the university students an acknowledging nod. "It's nice to meet you guys." He exclaimed as Casey stopped to stand between her brother and her best friend, who instantly wrapped his arm around her waist once she was close enough.

Dean sized the newcomers up as an idea occurred to him, causing the mischievous glint in his eyes from earlier to grow. "Yeah, so you were also there when Casey had her little dating frenzy?"

Casey gave her brother an incredulous look, momentarily taking her attention off of Derek and their game. "Really Dean?"

Dean grinned at his sister. "What? I'm curious." He stated innocently but she wasn't buying her brother's words.

Casey rolled her eyes before looking back at the pool table. "You're fishing for info." She told her brother as she watched Derek sink another striped ball into the far corner pocket. She internally scowled. _Two to zero._

Casey could see Dean shrug his shoulder out of the corner of her eye. "Well it's not my fault you told Sam about it when I was preoccupied." Dean exclaimed as his attention was also on the pool table as Derek chalked his cue stick while looking for his next best shot.

Casey smirked. "With good reason."

Dean tilted his head to the side as he gave his sister a curious look. "Name one." He challenged.

"I could name a lot yet I rather not." Casey stated a little defiantly as she watched Derek circle the table as he searched for his next best shot. It wasn't that hard for the young hunter to predict the probability of which one of his options would be the best choice.

Dean moved a bit closer to Casey's ear. "It's because you got nothing." He whispered triumphantly before pulling back as if he never said a word but the older hunter was lucky enough to see Derek hesitate just a bit during his survey over the table's layout. Dean had to stifle his chuckle as the new thought popped into his mind. _He's keeping his eye on Casey...'he doesn't care', my ass!_

Casey cocked her head to the side as she slightly turned in Devon's arms to come face to face with her oldest brother. "Fine, one reason; your reaction to hearing how _exactly_ I spent my freshman year." She stated in a tone that gave the silent add on of '_beat that_'.

Dean couldn't help the miserably disgusted groan that escaped him as all possible scenarios passed through his mind to correlate to what she truly was insinuating. _Please don't let my little sister be like me when it comes to dating. _He silently pleaded to himself. "I really don't like the sound of that."

Casey couldn't help the victorious grin that settled on her face due to Dean's reaction. _Serves him right for pushing for answers. _

Sam rolled his eyes before addressing his siblings. "It's always the same subject with you two. Leave it alone Dean, if you really wanna know, I'll just summarize it to you later." The middle Winchester explained before his attention went back to the pool game as Derek was getting ready for his third shot. Just like Sam, the other guys were watching Derek play his part in the bet as well as the little banter that was taking place between Casey and Dean; both being great sources of entertainment.

Dean turned around to give his brother a suspicious glare. "You're pretty calm about it." He stated in a slightly accusatory tone.

Sam slightly chuckled due to Dean's attitude change. "That's because I'm the brother that thinks before taking action. You, on the other hand, do the complete opposite." Sam explained to his brother as if it's the most obvious answer in the world.

Dean scoffed. "I do not."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yea, you do."

Dean was about to retort back but Tyler cut him off. "You guys always like this?"

Dean looked towards the curious guys before he spoke. "We're brothers; it's in the job description to fight with one another every once in awhile." He stated with obvious amusement before looking at Derek, who executed his third shot, resulting in the targeted ball getting sunk in the side pocket. The older hunter couldn't help but wonder when Casey would get a chance to get a shot in this game.

Alex gave the brothers a curious gaze as he still felt this certain vibe from them the moment he saw them, as if they were guys you shouldn't mess with. "So who are you guys then?"

Dean was about to answer before a beautiful blonde approached their group with three beers on a tray. Everyone's attention was on her (including Derek and Casey) as she slowly came to a stop right by Carter.

_That's one hot bartender. _Dean mused to himself as he took the rest of the female in, appreciating her blonde hair that was styled in long loose ringlets that ended just a few inches below her shoulder. Her torso was clad in a skin tight blood-red tank top that left little to the imagination as it gave the perfect amount of cleavage while a small black vest was on top of it. Dean's eyes roamed further down where he saw the leggy blonde wearing dark jean short shorts with some black ballet flats. Dean Winchester was very appreciative of the blonde's outfit as it accentuated her curves in all the right places.

All conversation had stopped and the blonde noticed before she gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the delay but I have three beers for the Winchesters." The blonde declared happily as she looked among the group, trying to distinguish who exactly was a Winchester but she did have a pretty good idea since three of the boys were regulars that she had recognized from their past visits so that eliminated them as a possible Winchester.

Dean looked directly at Alex, as if the beautiful blonde gave him a perfect way to response to Alex's earlier question. "That's us." The hunter stated with pride before looking to the bartender with a charming smile. "It's alright Sweetheart, no need for the apology." Dean stated as she started crossing the floor to their table, where she placed the tray down slowly.

The blonde sent him a beaming smile, trying to play her minor blush off as nothing major. "Aren't you the charmer…you must be Dean." She stated as she handed one of the new unopened beers to the slightly surprised hunter but he quickly covered it with a sexy smirk.

"That's correct and I feel terrible that I don't know your name." Dean easily worked the unasked question into the statement.

The blonde gave him a sexy smirk back, as if she was about to reveal a secret to him. "I'd be surprised if you did. I'm Miranda." The blonde introduced herself, causing all three Winchesters' eyes to widen in recognition.

"As in the owner's daughter?" Sam questioned just a few seconds before Casey.

"As in Brandon's older sister?"

Miranda laughed before nodding her head. "Yes and yes." She stated before handing the final two unopened beers to Casey and Sam after getting her confirmation on which one was the younger brother out of the rest of the guys (she had an idea that Casey had to be the sister of the trio). "I have to say, I didn't believe Brandon or my father when they said the three of you were here tonight. It blew my mind." She stated with excitement evident in her eyes and voice.

Derek (who momentarily stopped playing) and the rest of his friends gave each other confused looks as they looked between one another, with many of them wondering over the slip Miranda made just now.

Dean chuckled, still not use to seeing families from their past hunts welcoming them with open arms. "Yeah, we have that affect on people." He quipped, unopened beer bottle still in hand.

Miranda smiled before she looked over the three Winchesters. "I bet you do. It's definitely been awhile since I've seen you three but age has done you three very well." She openly complimented before she shifted a little bit to get a better look at the youngest Winchester. "Casey, you look amazing." She complimented causing Casey to smile.

"So do you Miranda." Casey stated in a somewhat awed tone due to the beauty that was radiating off of the slightly older woman. She was a little surprised that the welcoming bartender before her was still the same girl that Brandon was describing to her earlier before she reunited with Devon. _Definitely not a part of the blonde stereotyping. _She couldn't help but muse to herself.

Miranda smiled a thank you before turning to the middle Winchester. "Sam, to think I was taller than you the last time I saw you, but boy did you grow up handsome." She teased with a flirtatious grin since she noticed that his posture was slightly hunched over to match his brother's height.

Sam couldn't help the shy smile he gave the bartender before he spoke. "You're as beautiful as ever Miranda."

Miranda gave Sam a flashing smile before sauntering over to stand just in front of the oldest hunter out of the trio. "Dean…you know, you forgot something the last time I saw you." Miranda stated with a serious tone but Dean could see the lustful look in her eyes so he decided to play along.

"And what was that?" Dean questioned innocently, subconsciously moving to the edge of his seat as she slowly got closer to him. It was only seconds later that Dean felt Miranda's plump and delicious lips on his. She gave him a short yet passionate kiss and he didn't hesitant in kissing her back.

Derek couldn't believe what he was seeing. It just wasn't his night tonight. First it was Kelly and Layla from the restaurant and now Dean has the waitress/bartender practically throwing herself at him. _Damn, Winchester is one suave son of a bitch. _

Miranda's tongue caressed Dean's lower lip before she pulled back. "My _thank__ you_ for saving my life." She stated in a whisper with only a few centimeters still between their lips.

"It was my pleasure." Dean replied as his warm breath washed over her face, tempting her even more for another taste but she had to resist, therefore she forced herself to pull back.

Miranda sighed before she spoke again, shifting her attention between the Winchesters. "So my father tells me you three have drinks on the house, so if you need anything," Her gaze landed on Dean once again as she gave him a seductive smile. "_Anything __at __all_, just yell for me." She offered as she subtly roamed her eyes over Dean's body, hoping he'd get her hidden invitation.

Dean gave her an appreciate smirk before he replied back nonchalantly. "Sure thing." Miranda didn't miss the growing lustful expression in the hunter's eyes and she couldn't help but give herself an internal cheer. She's always had a hero-type crush on Dean Winchester but she never thought she'd run into him ever again. _Well, it's my lucky night! _She mused to herself gleefully.

Miranda sauntered a bit to the other side of the table to grab her tray. "I better get back to work. Does anyone else want a refill?" She questioned the rest of the group, who hadn't taken their eyes off of her or her interaction with the Winchesters. She mentally noted three sodas for the regulars and four more beers for the new friends in the group before she headed back to the bar.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Once Miranda took his order, Derek went back to surveying the pool table for his fourth shot, hoping for no more major distractions. _Just a few more balls to sink in prior to winning before Casey could even make a move._ He couldn't help but grin at the thought.

Dean's eyes never left Miranda's retreating form until she was out of his sight. "I remember her now." He stated before he gave an impressed whistle.

A thought instantly came to Casey's mind and she couldn't help but state it as a little payback for how he was earlier when he caught her kissing Devon. "Are you forgetting something Dean?" She innocently questioned as she used her silver ring to pop the top off of her beer bottle as if she's done it multiple times before.

Derek hesitated in aligning his cue stick when he saw Casey open the beer bottle with ease and for some reason, the action intrigued him. He had to shake the thought away quickly before he lowered himself down to make the alignment. _Focus Venturi!_

Dean gave his sister a confused look before using his own ring to pop the top off his beer. "What?" He questioned before automatically taking Sam's outstretched beer and switching it with his, so that Sam had his opened beer while Dean used his ring again to open the second bottle.

Casey took a quick swig of her beer before she spoke with a smirk plastered on her face. "The deal." She simply stated causing her to get a laugh from Sam, signaling that he made the connection.

Both Casey and Sam watched Dean as the reference to their deal in the parking lot earlier came back to the forefront of his brain causing his face to scrunch up in frustration. "Oh c'mon!" He practically whined causing the other Winchesters to laugh once again before they took a few swigs from their beer. Dean was not pleased but as he took his first swig of his own beer, he was determined to find a loophole in their little _agreement_.

Carter looked between the trio, wondering if they were done with whatever it was they were talking about before he cleared his throat for their attention. "So you're the Winchesters?" He questioned as he looked between the brothers but he couldn't help but give Casey a confused look as he still wondered why Miranda referred to her as a Winchester as well.

Dean nodded his head as he gulped a bit more of his beer down. "Yeah, I'm Dean and this is Sam. We're Casey's _brothers_." Dean said it so carefree with an ounce of truth that it got all the guys (except Devon) to go wide eyed and slacked jaw. Dean was satisfied with his wording even more when he saw Derek missing his fourth shot, causing the cue ball to miss its target completely. _Casey's turn. _

"What?" All the guys practically shouted and it was a really good thing that none of them had drinks. Devon was looking at everyone with an amused expression on his face as he also felt Casey slightly shaking in his side, as if she was trying to stifle her giggles.

Dean chuckled as he waved his free hand as if his statement didn't mean a thing. "Oh relax. It's just for the night. Oh look Casey, it's your turn." He made a show of looking surprised that Derek had missed his shot but inside, he was ecstatic to finally see his littler sister beat Derek's ass.

"Excellent." Casey grinned, taking another swig of her drink before handing it to Devon. He took the proffered beer and with a questioning glance followed by an affirmative nod, Devon took a swig of his own from her beer.

Casey handed her cue to Dean as she took her leather jacket off, knowing for a fact that she can't really play pool properly due to the constrictions the leather would cause for her. It was then that the rest of the guys truly took a look at Casey's outfit and if Devon wasn't mistaken, he saw a couple of guys outside of their group do a double take when Casey fell within their line of sight. As Casey draped her jacket over Dean's, her brother gave her cue back to her before whispering for her to kick Derek's ass. Casey gave her brother a cocky smirk before sauntering around the pool table to where the cue ball awaited her.

Casey quickly aligned her shot that she had already determined on her strut to the table, and she executed the stroke perfectly as the first solid colored sphere of the game dropped into the side pocket before Derek even got to an empty spot between Devon and his best friend Sam, who was still seated at the second table with Ralph.

"What'd you mean _'just for the night'_?" Ralph finally questioned Dean after he broke out of his impressed stupor as Casey made her way around the pool table for her next shot.

"Just that." Dean stated without taking his eyes off the table as he watched his sister align her cue stick as she attempted to make a tricky combo shot from the looks of it. The hunter could see out of the corner of his eye that Derek was doubtful that his opponent could make the shot, so Derek was already chalking his cue stick, getting ready for his next turn.

Dean had a satisfied grin on his face when he saw Derek's jaw drop when Casey tied the game by completing the tricky combo shot perfectly, sinking her two targets in completely two separate pockets. Dean was definitely impressed.

"Nice shot Case." Sam beat his brother with the praise towards their sister and he got a grateful grin in return as she reached for the second piece of chalk.

It was during her mini break that Miranda quickly returned with the rest of the group's orders. She handed them out amongst the group before giving Dean a parting wink prior to her trip back to the bar.

Dean silently chuckled before he focused back on the game, where Casey was silently strategizing the next best shot for her to take. "I don't remember showing you how to make that type of shot before." Dean easily stated towards his sister, a little curious as to where she learned to pull a shot like that since he was sure that neither him nor John Winchester had taught it to her in the past.

"It's because you didn't." Casey easily retorted back without missing a beat before she spotted her next shot.

Dean gave her a questioning look even though she wasn't looking in his direction. "Then how?"

Casey lowered herself as she aligned her cue stick once again. "Learned it from school." She stated as she pulled her cue back a few times in preparation while waiting for her brother's response.

Dean scoffed. "No way, I would have remembered if there was a class named _Billiards 101_." He quipped causing his sister to chuckle while remaining in her position.

"No such class but they did have physics and math, specifically geometry and when those are properly combined you get…" Casey explained before she executed another combo shot, where both solids ended up in the same corner pocket. She instantly straightened up and flashed her brother a satisfied smile. "…a winning shot." She finished off before giving a smug smirk in Derek's direction.

Dean nodded his head in agreement before a memory popped into his mind, either from one of their phone calls over the past two years or something through her emails, he didn't know but he did know that now would be a great time to tease her about it. "Right, hey, didn't you have a little mishap in your math class once?" He questioned with as much innocence in her voice as he could but he could tell by her glare at him that she didn't buy it.

The youngest Winchester started to roughly chalk up her cue stick once again. "That wasn't my fault and I rather not talk about it." She stated with irritation in her voice as she sent a side glare towards Derek, who just smirked right back at her. He too remembered the incident Dean was referring to, back in grade eleven when he had switched their math midterms which lead to him helping Casey cheat on her retake. He was too caught up in the memory to process the thought that Dean _knew_ about that bit of information that had happened between Derek and his stepsister.

Dean shook his head in amusement, chancing a glance at his brother, who rolled his eyes before he took a swig of his beer. "Of course, I just thought you knew the material enough not to cheat." Dean quipped before taking a few gulps of his own beer. The guys from Toronto didn't say a word as they were enjoying the banter no matter what it was they were _discussing_ about.

Casey placed the chalk down when she finally ended up where she needed to be. She lowered herself again to prepare for the shot while ignoring Dean's words, since they both knew that the distraction wasn't going to break the youngest hunter's concentration. "Derek sent the text and I'm great at math!" She proclaimed as she adjusted her grip on the lower half of the cue, not taking her eyes off of her target. _Two more then the 8-ball…this game is mine. _

"I sense some hesitation." Dean announced in an almost sing-song tone, causing obvious amusement in the other guys as they unknowingly watched the teasing banter between the oldest and youngest Winchesters.

Casey sighed. "Except when polynomials are involved." She confessed before she put enough force into the movement as she got another successful shot in as the solid sphere sunk into the closest corner pocket. Derek couldn't help the groan that escaped through his mouth.

Dean raised his eyebrow in mock-surprise. "Still? Geez, I thought Sam explained those to you awhile back." He stated as he looked towards his amused brother.

Casey shrugged. "It didn't take."

Dean laughed. "Guess not, well who needs polynomials anyways?" He retorted back before taking another quick gulp of his beer.

Casey nodded her head in agreement as she moved around the pool table, her next shot already planned out in her mind.

Derek, on the other hand, couldn't take his eyes off of her (but he made it seem like it was just the game he was focused on) as he was entranced, shocked yet intrigued by her actions even more. He couldn't place it and even though the girl he's playing against is the stepsister that he's lived with for three years (her flick-of-a-switch of irritation towards him, her concentration and her defiance was definitely present during her time at the table), in a way, she wasn't. It was like he was meeting Casey for the first time ever as she surprised him even more. It wasn't the fact that she had quickly gained a far lead in their game in just a few strokes but her attitude towards the Winchesters and towards his friends was a side of her that he's rarely seen from her. _Was this how she was before I met her? Before she moved to London? _He couldn't help the questions that floated through his mind as he took a quick gulp from his new soda that Miranda had given him but one question did cause something inside him to stir. _Why did she change in the first place if this is truly who she is?_

He continued to watch her as she surveyed the table, her hips swaying as she moved to check the angles before she decided on her perfect shot. He watched her lower herself down once again as her torso became parallel with the table's felted top before she brought her cue stick to its position, gripped tightly to her side. His eyes involuntarily went to the small of her back as her shirt exposed a sliver of her smooth skin. Derek needed to look away but he didn't _want_ to for a reason unknown to him at the moment. He was relieved when a few memories flash up in his mind to when he taught a date how to play pool. He remembered how he easily slipped behind her as he pressed himself against his date's back before he wrapped his arm around her waist until his hand landed right on top of hers at the butt of the stick. He remembered that he'd whisper little instructions into her ear and he got a few giggles as a response…he remembered all the actions but he now couldn't remember the girl in the memory; only Casey's image came to mind when he rethought the memory again but he couldn't fight the feeling inside him, since he actually liked the altered version of the memory. _Why are you thinking like this Venturi? _He couldn't help but wonder to himself.

Derek watched Casey as she pulled her cue back a few times, getting familiar with the positioning, before she followed through with the long shot, landing the last solid sphere into the corner pocket with the cue ball ending in a position that had a striped ball in her way if she wanted the coveted 8-ball.

"Dude, if she sinks one more shot in, you lose." Ralph's statement caught Derek's attention causing him to give his friend a questioning look. Derek was indeed impressed by his stepsister's billiard skills but there was no way she was going to get the 8-ball without hitting his stripe ball that stood in her way.

Derek turned his attention back to the table where Casey was rechalking her cue. "It's not over yet Ralph." He declared to his friend before he took another swig of his soda as he watched the calculated look in her eyes grow after placing the chalk down and out of her way.

The youngest Winchester could still feel all eyes of their group on her, especially Derek's but she had to push the tingling his gaze gave her to the back of her mind as she focused on the few options she had with her final shot. She could either perform a combo shot by using the stripe ball to hit the 8-ball into its corner pocket but then again, none of her shots had the cue ball touching a stripe so she wasn't going to start now. Her only two options seemed to be a bank shot or a jump shot and thanks to the three spheres in question, their formation made either shot very promising but which one to choose?

She quickly lowered herself into position as if she were performing the bank shot but she hadn't moved her cue, only her eyes as they raked in all possible angles from her new vantage point. She bit her lower lip before straightening up again, her backside somewhat directed at her friends from Toronto. Her free hand instantly went to her hip before she spoke. "Pick one Dean: bank or jump?" She questioned her brother as she turned slightly to watch his expression turn to one of amusement to one of mischief.

Both Sam and Dean were very pleased with the shots Casey was performing and they could both see their sister's options when it came to the final shot. The brothers were surprised that she even asked one of them to pick one for her. Sam had quirked an eyebrow at his brother when he heard the question, which brought on the mischievous look in Dean Winchester's eyes.

"Don't you have a favorite?" Dean questioned his sister with a smirk.

Casey turned a bit so that she was facing her brothers with her hip slightly leaning against the table. "Nope and the probability for both is practically the same." She stated with an exaggerated sigh causing Dean to shake his head in amusement and Casey saw Devon taking another swig of her beer while the unopened bottle Miranda had brought for him earlier was in his other hand.

"I say jump shot." Sam suggested as he took a short swig from his beer.

Dean gave his brother a curious look. "Can she even perform a jump shot with those things she calls shoes on?" He taunted his sister as he addressed his brother.

Casey rolled her eyes but her smirk threw Dean off, mentally preparing himself for his sister's comeback. "Well Dean, it beats doing a bank shot since Tyler hasn't stopped staring at my ass every time he has a nice view of it." She stated with a confident yet sassy tone before she saw her brothers' amused expressions when they turned their heads to look past her and at a flabbergasted Tyler.

"You can't prove it was me Casey." Tyler managed to get out as he gave off this unfazed expression but the hunters could tell by his voice that he was guilty for the little action.

Casey turned around so that her lower back was leaning against the pool table before she turned her head to show off her entertained expression. "Have you forgotten who you're denying that fact to Ty because as I remember, nothing stopped you before." She brazenly stated with such conviction prior to pushing herself forward a bit so that she could get back to positioning herself for the final shot.

Alex rolled his eyes as he gulped down his beer while Carter snickered at Tyler's dumbstruck expression. It was always obvious to the guys that even though Tyler had a girlfriend at the time, he'd always sneak an admiring peak every chance he got when it came to Casey as the guy always wanted to know if those rumors about the legendary brunette were really true or not. He was a faithful guy (still is if he had a girlfriend) but there was just something about Casey that always drew him in. Tyler thought he was sneaky enough to get away with it but unknown to the three roommates, Casey had always known about the secret glances with Devon giving her confirmation from time to time. Sometimes Casey would conspire, with Devon's input, on ways to tease Tyler but that was before Devon and Casey got together as a couple.

She cleared her throat as she got ready. "Jump shot it is then." She stated as she was comfortably in place to make the shot but before she made any move of the shot, Derek interrupted her.

"You're not gonna make it." He stated confidently at his stepsister as he looked between her and the complex shot. _There is no way she's gonna hit the 8-ball without hitting my ball, let alone get the 8-ball in the corner pocket. _He reasoned to himself.

Casey immediately loosened her hold on the cue stick and stepped back from the table, grabbing the chalk before giving her pseudo-stepbrother a defiant look. "You wanna make it a little more interesting then Der-bear?" She cooed at the nickname as she chalked her cue while she waited.

The guys had to stifle their laughs as Derek involuntarily shivered at the dreaded nickname Kendra used to call him when they dated. "Don't call me that." He scowled at her with a glare.

She smirked. "Well?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "What'd you have it mind?"

Her smirk turned into a wide-eyed grin. "If I make the shot, not only do you have to be nice to me for the night but you have to be civil to Sam and Dean the _whole_ time they are here in London." She declared as she placed the chalk back down.

Derek quickly mulled it over in his head before he decided that he didn't have to because he was confident that she wasn't going to make the shot. "And if you don't?" He questioned as he saw her get her body back into position, followed by her cue stick and hands getting into their positions.

"It'd be your turn anyways…So you game?" She stated quickly before making eye contact with her opponent/pseudo-stepbrother/long time crush as she waited for his answer.

He held her gaze as he uttered the words with a knowing smirk. "You're on."

Casey's lips instantly broke out into a cocky grin before her attention shifted to her next move. After quickly double checking that her position was lined up precisely, she put just the right amount of pressure into her stroke as the cue stick moved downward at the correct angle, hitting the cue ball in the right spot that would make it practically leap-frog over the dreaded stripe ball before it crashed into the 8-ball, driving it into the corner pocket therefore ending the game.

She looked up to see the shocked expression on Derek's face, which brought on her victorious smile before she spoke the words that her pseudo-stepbrother rarely yet still hated hearing. "Looks like _I_ win the bet Venturi."

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Why **_**Cassandra Diana Winchester**_**? **(info I got off of some naming site)**  
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**Cassandra – **In Greek, _Cassandra_ means 'inflaming men with love' or 'she who entangles men' [_this is covered through her social charisma_]. In Greek mythology there was a prophet named Cassandra who could predict the future yet was cursed so that no one would believe her by the one she didn't love back [_predicting the future alludes to the visions she gets later on due to the Yellow Eye Demon's influence_].

**Diana – **In Latin _Diana_ means the 'divine one' and it's the name of a goddess in Roman mythology, who was a hunter that later turned into the Goddess of the Moon as she is famous for as she's depicted with bows and arrows as her weapons [_this is covered due to the fact she was raised as a hunter with exceptional precision skills when it came to archery-type activities_].

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A/N #4: **So what did you guys think? What are your thoughts and feelings about the confrontation...the pool game...the Winchesters meeting new people? PLEASE let me know in a review! **=D**

**A/N #5: **It looks like Casey won the bet...how's Derek going to react to that? Next chapter covers Sam and Dean's game (score = 3:4), who do you think will win that game?

**A/N #6: **Finally, what did you guys think about the latest 5 episodes of _Supernatural_ (ep. 6.12-16)? For me they blew my mind and if you want, my full thoughts of them are on my LiveJournal account. **;D** I seriously want the 6-week hiatus to be over already.

**A/N #7: **Once again, thank you everyone so much for all your support and your reviews definitely bring a smile to my face, so don't forget to leave me a new review and check out the connecting outtakes to this chapter if you haven't done so already! Enjoy the rest of your week!

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Originally Published: **March 9, 2011**  
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	13. Ch 12: Always A Drama Queen Baby Girl

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 12: Always A Drama Queen Baby Girl **

**A/N #1:** So sorry for the long wait on this story everyone but I didn't think it was good enough last week to post it so I finally got it done since I'm free from school (ya!) and I'm resting from the dentist (got my wisdom teeth pulled 2 days ago). So this chapter would be in honor of many things; Sam Winchester's birthday (May 2), my birthday (May 6), this story's one year anniversary (May 6), mother's day (May 8) AND the _Supernatural_ season finale (May 20) and the fact that we're getting a SEASON 7! YA!

**A/N #2: **Thank you SO MUCH for all the hits and reviews for my previous chapter (and for this story as a whole). It truly means a lot to me that someone does care for my writing (unlike my family) so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for showing me your support! It really means a lot to me! So, I'll keep the pre-notes short so now, please enjoy the chapter!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine. The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Brandon and Miranda

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"No More Games", "Just Friends", "Battle of the Bands", "Surprise" and "The Room."

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Tall Tales," "Crossroad Blues" and "My Bloody Valentine."

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

Her smirk turned into a wide-eyed grin. "If I make the shot, not only do you have to be nice to me for the night but you have to be civil to Sam and Dean the whole time they are here in London." She declared as she placed the chalk back down.

Derek quickly mulled it over in his head before he decided that he didn't have to because he was confident that she wasn't going to make the shot. "And if you don't?" He questioned as he saw her get her body back into position, followed by her cue stick and hands getting into their positions.

"It'd be your turn anyways…So you game?" She stated quickly before making eye contact with her opponent/pseudo-stepbrother/long time crush as she waited for his answer.

He held her gaze as he uttered the words with a knowing smirk. "You're on."

Casey's lips instantly broke out into a cocky grin before her attention shifted to her next move. After quickly double checking that her position was lined up precisely, she put just the right amount of pressure into her stroke as the cue stick moved downward at the correct angle, hitting the cue ball in the right spot that would make it practically leap-frog over the dreaded stripe ball before it crashed into the 8-ball, driving it into the corner pocket therefore ending the game.

She looked up to see the shocked expression on Derek's face, which brought on her victorious smile before she spoke the words that her pseudo-stepbrother rarely yet still hated hearing. "Looks like _I_ win the bet Venturi."

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_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**_Looks like I win the bet Venturi. _**

Her words rang through Derek's mind as he remained still as he looked to the pool table with no 8-ball to his victorious stepsister as she made her way closer to him.

"How? You've never stepped foot in here before." He questioned, as he tried to reason how his keener stepsister had just beat his ass at a game of pool. _Hunter's Bar and Grill_ was the only place in town that had pool tables available to underaged customers. The only other place that pool tables could be found are at people's homes and Casey wasn't cool enough to know _anyone_ who had a pool table of their own (now he wasn't writing himself off as being cool, Derek Venturi will always be cool, it's just his house was too crowded as it was to add in a pool table).

Casey's eyebrow rose out of curiosity. "Doesn't mean I never played the game before Der." She stated as she walked towards him and Devon while Dean got up from his seat to reset the table for his continued game with Sam.

As she reached Devon, he offered his unopened bottle of beer to her (since he finished the one that was originally hers), having her open it with her ring like earlier before she took a swig of the drink. "It also helped that I used to date a guy with a pool table." Casey stated with a smirk before turning to look at her other friends from Toronto.

"And here I thought you dated me because of my charm." Alex stated with no bitterness in his voice before taking another swig of his own beer.

Casey gave a light chuckle before casting her eyes onto her ex-fling. "Your charm didn't really help you in the game Alex." She quipped, forgetting the slight anger she had towards the guy and just relishing in the fact that they were not fighting with each other.

Alex smirked. "Ah but yours did, otherwise I would have won." He confidently started with a suggestive quirk to his eyebrow as he remembered the way she moved so that it had accentuated her feminine assets in a way that would distract any male in the area.

From the look on Alex's face, Casey knew just what he was remembering and she couldn't help the feminine pride she felt inside her for being able to do something like that. "You keep telling yourself that." She replied before turning her attention back to Derek, who now had a scowl on his face which was caused by him thinking about the things he now had to do because of the bet and for his unknown feelings that had returned during Casey and Alex's mini conversation. "Oh c'mon Derek, is being nice to me for one night gonna kill ya?" She teased her pseudo-stepbrother who, in return, gave her a huge glare as he took a gulp from his soda.

"Yes, do you know how much restraint that's gonna cost me? It's practically second nature for me at this point to poke fun at you." Derek argued back because now it was going to take all he had in him not to make his usual comments towards his stepsister on a night when all he wanted to do was celebrate, let loose and have fun doing whatever _he_ wanted.

"I guess it's a challenge you'll never complete then." Casey stated as she shrugged her shoulders as she watched Dean finish racking the balls up and into the plastic triangle. Her words caused Derek's attention to snap to her.

"I never said that." He stated defiantly because there is no challenge that Derek Venturi couldn't conquer…except Casey McDonald herself but she was an ongoing challenge for the Venturi graduate.

Casey couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips as he took the route she had hoped he would take when she mentioned that one word that had ensured Derek's participation: challenge. "Then tonight is going to be a pretty interesting night then." She stated with a twinkle in her eyes that lead Derek to become a bit suspicious but Devon was laughing out of amusement.

Before Devon could say anything to Casey, Dean spoke. "Ready to help us out Baby Girl?" The older Winchester questioned as he offered his sister the cue stick once again. She nodded her head before handing her beer back to Devon prior to heading towards Dean.

"Why do you need Casey's help?" Ralph couldn't help but question as he watched the scene before him unfold. He still couldn't believe that she had beaten Derek.

"Our game was interrupted earlier and Dean and I tend to finish all our games so we keep our old scores." Sam Winchester explained as he still remained seated in his chair, nursing his beer while watching over Dean's half finished beer that he'd left on the table moments ago.

"When this happens, we get Casey to break without telling her the score or who is what if she wasn't present for the game." Dean continued from where his brother left off in the explanation before giving his cue stick to his sister.

"Keeping it fair when she breaks. Whichever ball she sinks is the person who goes next." Sam continued from where Dean ended without missing a beat, causing all the people outside of the Winchester family to constantly move their heads back and forth between the brothers as if they were watching a tennis match while Casey was getting ready to make the break shot.

"If she gets more than one in, the majority wins." Sam finished off before taking a swig of his beer while Dean stood off to the side of the pool table, watching his sister analyze the table as he knew she was trying to figure out how much power she would need to sink at least one of the balls on the felt table.

Carter looked between the Winchester brothers and when he saw that neither of them was going to say anything, he spoke. "Do you guys always finish each other's thought?" He questioned as he scratched the back of his neck a little nervously.

"No." Carter and the rest of the guys looked confusedly between the brothers as they both had answered simultaneously without making eye contact between one another. Devon continued to have an amused expression on his face, having witnessed another moment that Casey had shared with them when she told him many things about her older brothers.

After clearing his throat, Sam Richards wanted to keep the conversation moving. "So if she sinks two stripes and one solid, the person who goes for stripes is up first?" He asked, not really directing the question to a specific Winchester as he watched Casey lower herself once again to make the shot.

Dean snapped his fingers. "Yahtzee"

"I thought you were playing pool." Ralph questioned causing a couple groans, a few eyebrow quirks and a couple of eyes rolling to the back of the person's head.

Derek gave his friend an incredulous look before he turned to face Casey. "Just start already."

With those words, Casey concentrated on the formation before her as she aligned her cue stick with the cue ball. She pulled the stick back a couple times before she delivered the shot with enough power that it split up the triangle formation as a few even bounced off the side walls of the table. She could hear a few clacks before she heard the tell-tale sound of a ball falling into one of the pockets. She straightened herself up before she made her rounds to the pockets as none of her brothers made a move to help since it was part of the way they played. Casey moved along, finding the first two pockets to be empty before she came across a solid ball. She announced her find before she continued her rounds, having come across two stripes in the leftover pockets.

"Stripes win." The youngest Winchester announced and she instantly knew who that would be as a scowl formed on Dean's face while Sam's broke out into a huge grin. _Sam's stripes._ Casey walked over to her oldest brother and gave back his cue stick before heading back to the chair that Dean was sitting in earlier as her coat was still hanging off the back of it. Once she was seated, Devon gave back her beer before giving her a kiss to the temple and whispering a few congratulations into her ear.

While Casey was busy with Devon, Sam and Dean carefully pocketed the balls closest to a pocket (three solids and one stripe) so that seven balls total would be off the table, matching the 4:3 score that the brothers previously had with Dean in the lead.

As Sam Winchester was getting ready to start the game a second time, there was a bit of shuffling between the group as Carter, Tyler and Alex made their way around the table to join the now vacant seats around Sam and Ralph's table while Derek and Devon remained in the stools between their table and the table Casey sat at that housed her brothers' beer bottles.

As she nursed her beer, Casey could see that the guys at the second table were having a few hushed conversations among themselves with a few moments of them glancing towards her direction or towards the game. The young hunter had an idea that the guys were either catching up amongst themselves, trading stories that could possibly have her mentioned a few times since her current attitude has been silently questioned a few times that night or they might want to know what the deal was between her and Derek, her and Devon or her and her 'brothers for the night'. She couldn't help but think it was all amusing as she watched her brother sink two stripes into two separate pockets while her other brother's attention was either on the game or on a 'hot girl' that walked by him. She couldn't help but internally shake her head at the latter action…_Dean is still Dean after all these years_, a thought she was glad remained true.

Derek's attention, on the other hand, was still reeling over the fact that he lost a game and a bet against Casey. He tried running over the game within his head but he still remained confused as ever with the way she carried herself or the way she was acting throughout the whole thing. It was as if she felt right in place, like she was at _home_ or something with the simple act itself…as if she belonged in the moment. As if the random sentimental moments and feelings weren't causing Derek a huge enough headache as it was but he now had _this_ mystery to figure out…a puzzle he was determined to solve. Derek's scowl returned to his face when he saw Sam perform a similar shot that Casey had performed earlier, causing him to sink another stripe into a corner pocket.

Devon saw the scowl on his young friend's face and he couldn't help but poke his best friend to inform her. When he caught her attention, he tilted his head over towards Derek, causing the youngest Winchester to smirk as an idea formed in her head.

"Is the thought of being nice to me _that_ tough on you Derek?" Casey teased, hoping that he will make an effort and follow through with the bet instead of ignoring her for the night, which would be counterproductive in her plan.

Derek shook his head. "Nope, I just can't picture us getting along even if it is for one night."

Casey huffed. "You've done it before, you can do it again tonight." She stated causing Derek to look at her with one of his eyebrow's quirked in a what-are-you-talking-about fashion but she knew that he knew what she was talking about. There have been many times between them where they could be civil towards each other and have fun if they allowed themselves to. When Derek wasn't going to give in, Casey sighed. "C'mon Derek, I just don't want to remember the night we _graduated_ to be filled with us fighting. Can't we just celebrate like friends for tonight?" She explained hoping that would be enough for him to see reason.

"But we aren't friends Case." Derek stated as he took a swig of his soda.

Casey rolled her eyes as she ignored the slight pang of hurt she felt inside her. _Figures he'd latch on to that fact. _"Would you rather I say 'stepsiblings' because I'd rather be your friend than your stepsister if it means that you'll behave more civilly towards me." She explained with a bit of snark and some irritation in an attempt to make sure that his disregard of their semi-friendship hadn't hurt her, although she could see out of the corner of her eye Sam's hesitance as he gave Dean one of his communicating looks.

"Well…" Derek knew that she had a point but he wasn't going to give in just yet, he did have a reputation he had to maintain and he was kind of curious as to how far she would go to make him hold up his end of the bet.

Casey was all out of things to say as she unconsciously tapped her ring against the side of her beer bottle. _Wait…that's it. _She thought to herself as she looked down at her beverage. "Would this help?" She questioned her pseudo-stepbrother as she offered him her beer bottle for a swig.

Derek gave the brunette a suspicious look as he looked between her and the proffered beer. It didn't take long before he took the beer into his hands and raised it to his mouth, to swallow a huge sip before he spoke his approval. "It's a start." He stated before he took another swig, completely ignoring the fact that she had drank from the bottle earlier.

Casey now had a satisfying smile on her face and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brothers get back to their game while the other guys continued with their conversations. "You know, if all your friends could get along with me, doesn't that mean you should be able to too?"

"Nope." Derek instantly replied but he couldn't help but think that idea over since she did have a point but it didn't add up. None of it made sense. It appeared that before Casey moved to London, she was great friends with _his_ friends from Toronto so wouldn't that mean she would have been great friends with him too? Derek took another quick swig before the conundrum fried his brain some more.

"Well you better start now." The young hunter said in a sing-song tone as she watched Sam sink another stripe into the far pocket, leading him to only deal with the 8-ball. She could see Dean grumbling to himself as he slowly made his way over to them. _He probably wants his beer. _She mused to herself before returning her attention back to the game.

Derek blew out a huge breath before he spoke. "Oh, thanks so much for the beer Case." Derek stated with a sarcastic edge.

Casey's attention snapped back to Derek just as he was taking another swig. "I'm not _giving_ you my beer, I just offered you a few sips." She retorted which caused Derek to smirk.

"Too bad, 'cause I kind of finished it already. Who knew you could chug a beer down so fast." He quipped as he tipped the bottle upside down, showing her that he had indeed finished her beer.

Casey's jaw went slack at the sight. "Der-ek! Didn't you drive here tonight?"

Derek chuckled when he saw the fire in her eyes that was always present every time they argued. "Yeah, what's your point?"

"You irr-"

Derek full on laughed, cutting Casey off from her automatic rant. "I'm kidding Case, relax. I would have to drink a lot to get intoxicated."

Casey groaned, still not liking the thought of how easy it was for Derek to get her into her ranting mode. "Like someone else I know."

"Aww, thanks Baby Girl." Dean quipped once he approached the table.

"Just play your game Dean." Casey said as she turned her attention to her eldest brother but not before catching Devon's amused expression once again as he watched from the sidelines. Her best friend might not have said much since they joined up with her brothers, but she knew he was enjoying himself because she was having fun.

"What, no cheering from my _sister_?" Dean joked before taking a gulp of his forgotten beer.

Casey rolled her eyes. "If that's the case Dean, then I'm torn because both my _brothers_ are playing against each other." She reasoned causing Dean to slice the air between them as he gestured her to forget about that fact.

"Oh but we both know I'm your favorite." Dean confidently stated as he placed his beer back on the table.

Casey smirked since it was a line that she's heard many times before in her past where she's never agreed or denied the statement (while ignoring Derek's confused expression that was caused by her nonchalant attitude when it came to the whole topic being discussed). "Well if that's the case, care to tell me about the wager?" She suggested as she watched from the corner of her eye how Sam executed his final shot.

Dean chuckled, knowing full well what Casey was trying to do. "You know-"

"I'll tell her." Sam Winchester interrupted as he moved his way around the table.

Dean glared at Sam. "No you won't. We're not done yet." He stated firmly but that only caused Sam's grin to widen a bit more.

"Look again Dean." Sam stated as he moved out of Dean's way so that he could see the pool table more clearly.

Dean's eyes widened when he saw no more stripes on the table as well as no sign of the 8-ball on the felt cover. "Son of a bitch!"

Sam and Casey laughed at their brother's expense. "I win. You gotta share Dean." Sam victoriously stated causing his brother to grab his beer once again before he took a heavy gulp of his beer again.

Casey smiled like a little kid who just discovered that they were allowed to open a present on Christmas Eve. "Yeah, tell me what the wager was." She cheerfully asked as she looked between her brothers.

Dean groaned while Sam snickered at his brother's expense. "That's not all he's sharing tonight." Sam declared before grabbing his beer to take a victorious swig.

Casey's brow furrowed out of confusion. "What'd you mean?"

Dean rubbed a hand over his face before he motioned for Casey to come closer to him. She tilted her head to the side a bit before she followed through, stepping away from her chair as she moved closer to Dean. When she was close enough, he gave a scowl to Sam before he lowered himself down so that his mouth was just at the shell of her ear. "There's only two beds back at the motel." Dean whispered to his sister and she instantly knew what that implied since she was supposed to stay with them for the night.

Casey's eyes widened while she tried to hold in her giggles that were due to Dean's doom-and-gloom attitude on the subject as Dean straightened himself up. "Seriously, that's what you bet on?" She questioned as she looked between her brothers who just nodded in agreement. Suddenly she started to pout as she crossed her arms across her chest. "I didn't think I'd be a burden to the both of you."

Derek's eyes widened when Casey started to pout, not wanting any tears of hers to come in the next few minutes. Dean groaned while Sam quirked an eyebrow at Casey for her actions.

"That's not why we made the bet." Dean stated as he tried to reassure Casey that she wasn't a burden. Usually he knew that what she was doing right now would be all for show but with the current topic, he had a feeling that she might actually think that she was a burden to them, which she wasn't…they've missed her like crazy.

"Then why?" Casey questioned a little timidly as she tried to get rid of the thought that her brothers didn't want her around them anymore. Could you blame her? They've been in a sister-free zone for the past four years, why would they want to give that up?

Sam and Dean quickly looked at each other, not wanting to tell her the real reason with so many people around but they didn't want to lie to her either. "We'll tell you later." Sam stated, knowing full well what that meant when it came to Casey.

"You promise?" She asked and Derek couldn't help but compare her tone with one of a hopeful little child when they asked a parent to promise them about taking them to the zoo or something like that.

"But of course." Dean stated before her offered her what was left of his beer since Derek had drank the rest of hers. Casey saw the silent peace offering but she declined the offer since she needed to take it slow with the alcohol for a bit but she made sure to give Dean a reassuring smile so that he knew that she understood what the offer meant. He got the message loud and clear before he guzzled down the rest of the beer.

Before anyone else spoke, the sound of a break shot being performed caused everyone's attention to snap to the pool table, where Ralph remained frozen as all eyes focused on him.

Ralph subconsciously gulped as he looked toward the Winchester brothers. "It's alright that we get a game in right?" He asked a little nervously, as if he was crowding in on someone else's property.

Dean smirked. "Go right ahead. Knock yourself out." He simply told Ralph which caused his opponent, Sam, to sigh out of relief. The eldest hunter chuckled at the sight before he turned to his siblings. "I'm gonna get a refill, you want -"

"I'll get them Dean." Casey instantly volunteered before her brother could even finish his sentence.

"You sure?" Dean couldn't help but ask but it wasn't a surprise that Casey would offer her assistance since she's always been a helpful person, it's just that he wanted to go to the bar to grab Miranda's attention once again.

"It's no problem. Two beers right?" She asked before she got two nods from her brothers. She instantly turned her attention towards the rest of the guys in their group. "Anyone else want a refill?" She got a bunch of replies leading to her new order of five beers for her brothers, Devon, Alex and Tyler, and four sodas for Derek, Sam, Ralph and Carter (since he was declared designated driver) while she could decide her own drink at the bar when she approached Brandon with the group's order. She quickly returned to her chair to retrieve her phone from her leather jacket's pocket before she bid the group farewell for the moment as she left to retrieve the drinks but not before Devon offered his assistance to accompany her.

Derek noticed that Dean had stopped Devon before he continued on to follow Casey to the bar and he was curious as to see what the oldest Winchester had to say that would cause his friend to nod in understanding before he took off.

It was silent (minus the establishment's choice in music) as everyone watched the game between Sam and Ralph before Derek turned his attention to the brothers. "So if you're tagging along with Casey for the night, does that mean you are both going to Jason's party later?" Derek asked as he tried not to come off as being rude since he had his deal of the bet to uphold.

Dean chortled a bit, obviously amused by Derek's attempts to being civil towards them before he spoke. "The guy hosting the grad party for you guys?" Derek only nodded while he still watched the game between his two best friends. "I guess, someone's gonna watch Casey's ass." He quipped before taking his seat once again in his chair as he watched in amusement as he noticed Derek fidgeting as if he was dying to retort back in his usual fashion but he wasn't supposed to. Derek silently cursed to himself once again for agreeing to the bet with Casey in the first place.

While the attention was off the hunter, Dean subtly watched the other guys as he tried to figure out a way to learn what he needed to learn when it came to the years he couldn't get back with Casey. He knew he had the whole week to get to know Derek and get his side to the whole merger but the hunter only had one night to get stories from Carter, Tyler and Alex when it came to his sister's time before the merger. As everyone watched the two graduates swapping positions, no one noticed the conspiratory look that Dean Winchester was giving his brother.

* * *

Meanwhile, Casey and Devon made their way through the crowd as they headed for the bar as Devon's arm was wrapped securely around Casey's shoulder.

"Geez, you weren't joking about all those things you told me about your brothers." Devon couldn't help but admit with a laugh as he leaned closer towards the brunette as he whispered his thoughts to her ear.

Casey laughed in response. "Aren't they the best?" She beamed as she looked towards Devon with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't believe how perfect the night was turning out to be; she had her brothers back, she got to celebrate her graduation with her closest friends all at once and now Derek had agreed to be civil towards her for the night. Nothing could take the smile off of the youngest Winchester's face.

Devon smirked as he was pleased that his best friend was ecstatic. "Yeah and I really don't want to get on their bad side." He quipped but after witnessing that Casey had not exaggerated how her brothers' behaved, he really didn't want to get on a hunter's bad side, not after remembering all the memories she shared with him when it involved people that did get on her family's bad side.

Casey giggled. "You won't." She reassured her best friend just as they approached the bar. She searched around the bar before she spotted Brandon. She waved her hand a bit to grab his attention and when she did, she could see that he was excusing himself before he made his way towards her and Devon.

After watching Casey snag the bartender's attention, Devon cleared his throat. "So, do you always fight like that with Derek?" He questioned nonchalantly while he was dying of curiosity on the inside as he couldn't help but remember the way he saw the two interacting with each other in the short amount of time that he's seen them together. Devon wasn't the jealous type, he knew where he and Casey stood but seeing Derek and Casey moments before got him wondering whether there was _something_ truly more between them.

Casey shrugged as she leaned her now folded arms on the bar counter. "It was more intense when we first met but I don't know, in a way it's entertaining. It may seem weird but it just…works for us." She explained with a little hesitation, not really sure what to tell Devon when it came to her and Derek. Sure it was easier for her to tell her brothers but Devon actually _knew_ Derek a lot longer than she's apparently known the both of them. She wanted to tell Devon everything, to ask for his opinion on her situation since he knows her predicament when it came to her future decisions but she didn't know how to word it or how he'd take it.

Devon smirked. "I can see that. I've never seen Derek like that before." He couldn't help but add at the end because in the nine/ten years that Devon has known Derek Venturi, he hadn't seen him so responsive to a girl before that he _wasn't_ dating. It kind of made the university sophomore wonder if the stepsibling label was the only thing that was stopping Derek from making a move on his best friend.

Casey's head snapped towards Devon. "Really?" She couldn't help the little hope that escaped in her voice at the idea that maybe she was _special_ in Derek Venturi's eyes.

Devon nodded.

"Oh well…hang on." She didn't know what to say but luckily Brandon's appearance stopped her from formulating a response to Devon. She relayed the group's order, leaving out hers and Devon's orders for a moment (at his request), before Brandon left to get what his customers wanted.

Devon couldn't help but step closer to Casey as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as he placed his chin on her shoulder. "So, do I get to know what the wager was between your brothers?" She could feel his breath on the side of her face and she couldn't help but smile due to the familiar gesture they had done while they were dating.

"It's quite ridiculous but I guess since it's been awhile, they made a big deal out of it." She had the urge to shrug her shoulders as if the topic was no big deal but she had to keep in mind that Devon might think she was brushing him off her, which she wasn't.

Devon's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Big deal out of what?"

"I'm staying with them for the night at their motel room and they only have two beds…" She trailed off and it wasn't long before she felt the slight rumble behind her that emanated from Devon's chest as he held his laughter in.

"The bet was to see who would share with you?" He asked with an incredulous look on his face that Casey was able to see after she turned slightly in his arms.

She nodded her head. "Yeah and for some reason neither of them can't afford to sleep uncomfortably for awhile and they don't want me to either." She started rambling off a bit as she tried to work it out in her head. Sharing a bed with her brothers wasn't foreign to the hunter, and in the past they _have_ played for it but this time it felt different, as if there was something else she wasn't privy to know. She understood that neither Sam nor Dean wanted her to sleep on the floor of a motel room (usually they were lucky enough to get an extra cot or a room with a couch in the past), that wasn't unusual but it seemed like this time neither brother wanted the other to go without a good night's rest either.

Devon gave Casey another confused look, not entirely sure what the problem was exactly. "Isn't that a good thing then since they are thinking about you first?"

Casey sighed. "Yeah, but it means that something is wrong. Like what if they got hurt on a case or something?" She suggested automatically before it registered in her mind what she had just said. Her eyes instantly widened at the idea. "Oh my god, maybe that's why they couldn't tell me _why_ in front of everyone. Damnit, I should just go home after the party…" She started rambling off in a panic.

The moment he felt her body stiffen (like it usually did before she freaked out), Devon tightened the hold he had around her waist before he started to whisper calming noises into her ear. "Cay, stop. Sam and Dean have missed you like crazy, they wouldn't want you to leave on account of them." He tried to reassure her before she started to hyperventilate.

"But it hasn't been a day yet and I'm already a burden to them." She stated sadly as she shrunk deeper into Devon's arms.

Devon removed one of his arms from around her waist and used it to lift her chin up, so that he could see her beautiful hazel-green eyes. "You are not a burden Casey. Sam and Dean would do anything to have you back with them. Aren't they going to leave with you once their stay here is over?" He questioned before he got a small nod from her. He smiled. "There you go. They can't wait two months before they have you back on the road with them." He reasoned, hoping that the fact that her brothers were here earlier than originally planned had to show her that they missed her like crazy.

Casey gave her best friend a small smile. "Thanks Devon. Sometimes Derek's words get stuck in my head without my permission." She stated with a forced laugh while she tried to forget some of the barbs Derek had spoken to her over the years. They might have a semi-friendship at the moment but his words still get to her, now more than ever now that she was aware of her real feelings towards her pseudo-stepbrother.

"Well then, remind me to smack him over the head before I leave tonight." He quipped causing her to giggle at the thought.

Before Casey could reply, the best friends were greeted by Miranda with their orders on her tray. "Hey guys. Brandon told me about your order so I offered to take it to your group." The owner's daughter explained with a friendly smile on her face.

Casey smiled while Devon nodded before they followed Miranda as she made her way around the bar. Casey stopped in her tracks just before meeting Miranda at the end of the bar counter as she felt the rhythm of the new song that was starting to flow through her body. She was a little jumpy now as she wanted to dance to the contagious beat. She quickly closed the distance between her and Miranda while holding Devon's hand.

"Hey Miranda, could you deliver the drinks to the guys and tell Dean that I wanted to dance with Devon." She politely asked the bartender/waitress the favor and Miranda couldn't refuse as she saw Casey's excitement grow as the music blared through the bar's sound system.

Miranda chuckled. "Sure thing Casey. You two have fun. I'll deal with Dean." She stated with a wink before she headed towards the Winchester brothers while an amused Devon was being pulled by an ecstatic Casey onto the makeshift dance floor once again.

* * *

After some distinct head nods between the Winchester brothers, they had come to the idea of bringing up casual conversations between the university students but before Dean could put the plan into action, he caught sight of the beautiful blonde bartender from earlier. _Miranda. _He instantly smiled a flirtatious smile when he realized that she was heading towards him. Sam saw the smile on his brother's face and when he saw _who_ it was for, the middle Winchester rolled his eyes.

"Back so soon?" Dean flirted with the waitress as she placed her tray onto their table.

She giggled. "You could say that. Casey told me to tell you that she's dancing with Devon right now." She happily explained to Dean as she gave the two brothers their new beers.

"Is that so?" Dean commented with a smirk as Miranda moved on to deliver the rest of the orders throughout the rest of the guys.

She sauntered her way over towards the hunter's table once again before ending up right in Dean's personal bubble, which he didn't mind. "Maybe _we_ could follow their lead in a little while." She whispered seductively into his ear, causing a mischievous glint to appear in the eldest Winchester's hazel-green eyes.

Dean turned his head to the side so that their faces were only mere centimeters apart. His eyes quickly shifted down to her luscious lips that he really wanted to taste again but he had to restrain himself from giving in right then and there but he could see it in her eyes that she was struggling with her restraint as well. "We could but I have a better idea." He replied back causing his sweet breath to fan over her face.

Miranda bit her lip seductively. "Can't wait." She whispered back as she brushed her lips against his and before he could kiss her properly, she pulled back. She gave the hunter a parting wink before grabbing her tray and headed back to work.

Dean groaned once she was out of earshot as his eyes continued to follow her. _She's one hot tease. _He couldn't help but muse to himself. It was one of the perks Dean Winchester associated hunting to; never having to settle down. He knew at some point he would want to but for now, he was a twenty-five year old male who knew how to have _fun_ with the ladies and what was perfect about Miranda Galloway was that she _knew _what he did for a living so there were no lies about what he truly did plus she wasn't expecting more than a night of fun with him which was another bonus for the hunter.

Sam Winchester smirked when he saw that Dean hadn't moved since Miranda had walked off. He snapped his fingers in front of Dean's face. When Dean turned to give his brother a confused look, Sam laughed. "Back to reality yet Dean?"

Dean's face scrunched up into a scowl. "Shut up Sammy." He retorted back as he used his ring once again to open his new beer. Sam laughed as he traded beers with his brother once again before he started heading over towards the other table, where Carter was currently with Tyler. The oldest hunter searched their mini group for the blonde teenager and he wasn't surprised to see him talking to Derek but their expressions were what did surprise him, causing Dean's interest to peak as he wondered what they were talking about amongst themselves.

It wasn't long after Sam approached the second table did Tyler leave, only to accompany Dean at his table. The hunter couldn't help but smirk at the younger man as their plan seemed to be working. It seemed like everything was working out for the hunters as Sam and Carter fell into a comfortable conversation (which mainly revolved around Casey and how she was around the gang and at Fletcher Academy in general) while Dean and Tyler continued on with their entertaining one (which involved all the crazy antics the group got into with Casey with some slips from Tyler about how Casey handled her little dating frenzy).

* * *

Alex had left their table first (while Miranda was with the Winchesters) to approach Derek. The hockey goalie really wanted to know what the deal was with his friend and his ex-fling/friend. He understood that Derek didn't get along with his new stepsister and Alex accepted that, but now that he knew that it was Casey McDonald that Derek was talking about earlier, he just couldn't understand how Derek could be on bad terms with the brunette.

If there was one thing that Derek Venturi and Alex Johnston had it common, it was their dating habits. Although Alex is more reckless with dating than Derek, they both pretty much had the same taste in the opposite sex. If Alex detested a certain type of girl, then chances are Derek would detest the type too just like if Derek liked a specific stereotype, chances are Alex did too. So it completely baffled Alex that Derek didn't get along with Casey because Alex had grown fond of Casey and he had enjoyed her company a lot in the short amount of time he had known her. The only reason that they were at odds with each other (or on completely bad terms with one another) was because of their messy break up. Alex knew that he only had a week with her and then they'd break up and still remain on great terms, just like all her other flings but he had screwed it up. So although he knew why Casey McDonald was acting the way she was towards him, he didn't get the dynamic between her and his friend and he just had to know.

"You really don't get along with her?" Those were the words that came out of Alex's mouth as he took a seat in the stool beside Derek.

Derek had a confused look on his face as he turned to his friend. "Who, Casey?"

Alex nodded. "I just don't get it man, I mean I dated her." He stated with a shrug as he continued to watch Sam and Ralph play and it appeared that Sam was winning.

Derek rubbed at his eyes as if he were hoping to rub his frustration away. He still couldn't process the thought of Alex and Casey dating, even if it was for a few days. "Yeah, about that…_why_ would you date her? I'm still trying to figure that out." He asked with a bit of a frustrated tone but he lowered it down when he noticed that Miranda was approaching them. She quickly gave him and Alex smiles as she handed them their soda and beer, respectively before she returned to Dean's table where she had left her tray.

Alex chuckled at his friend's frustration as he watched Miranda pass the sodas to the pool players. "Why would I _not_ date her?" He questioned with a quirk of his eyebrow when he turned to face Derek once again. _Now this I gotta hear. _Alex mused to himself as he waited for friend's response.

Derek groaned as he opened his new soda bottle before he took a huge breath in. "Ugh, because she's…because she's Casey! She's a keener, a goody-two shoes, a perky princess…" He kind of hesitated in his rant because he knew there was a ton of things he could say but he had a feeling that he wasn't supposed to say them as if not everyone was privy to the amount of information he's absorbed about Casey over the past three years. _Now is that a good thing or a bad thing that I know what I do about Casey? _The question appeared in his mind out of nowhere which confused the teenager even more.

Alex quickly cut Derek off with his own list, both completely unaware of the oldest Winchester's condition after Miranda left. "No. She's insanely hot, brilliant, witty, feisty, strong-willed, stubborn, a fighter, compassionate, helpful, optimistic yet realistic, mysterious…" He fiercely stated out loud for the first time. He never gave reasons before in the past but he felt compelled to drive those attributes into his friend's head.

Derek gave Alex an amused expression as he tried to cover up his scowl. "Sounds like you still have a thing for my stepsister." He pointed out as nonchalantly as he could but he couldn't help the tug he felt in his chest when he heard the slight adoring tone that Alex had when he was listing those qualities that he saw in Casey. As the list went on, Derek couldn't refute what his friend was saying but he was perfectly fine sticking with denial when it came to the topic of discussion.

Alex shrugged as he opened his new beer bottle. "It's in the past but you can't honestly tell me you feel nothing more for her?"

Derek thought about that as he took a gulp of his soda. "She's my stepsister." He stated, not really wanting to admit to anything (because at this point he really wasn't sure about anything, not after the recent weird moments he's had with Casey in the past week months) but Alex smirked as it wasn't a definite answer to his question.

"That wouldn't have stopped me." Alex stated with confidence before he took a huge swig of his beer.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh of course it wouldn't but how about this; she's my complete opposite, how could I feel anything more for her, stepsibling label aside?" Derek genuinely asked in a slight whisper towards his friend since he had a feeling this would be the only time he'd be able to talk to Alex about something like this.

Alex thought about it for a moment. If he didn't suspect the reason for his friend's possible hesitation before, he definitely did now but how could he help Derek? "I don't know man but I loved having her around."

Derek's brow furrowed as the encounter between Alex and Casey from earlier flashed through his mind once again. "It didn't seem like that earlier Alex."

Alex groaned. "That was my fault. We never really resolved our breakup fully."

"But you guys still remained friends." Derek concluded, even though the concept seemed foreign to him.

Alex nodded his head before taking a sip of his beer as he mentally readied himself for the summary he was about to give. "Yeah, after we broke up whenever it was just the two of us, we were bitter and angry towards each other but if the rest of the guys were around, we would be civil towards each other so that we wouldn't wreck the group dynamic."

Derek gave Alex an incredulous look. He remembered how Sam and Casey were around each other after they had broken up; it made it impossible for him to hang out with his best friend at his own house for awhile. How did Alex and Casey pull it off? "Then how could she date Devon? Weren't you jealous? I mean one of your closest friends was dating your ex." The pool game was completely forgotten at this point as Derek's full attention was on his goalie really baffled at this point because he saw the way Casey and Devon were with each other before they went off to dance the first time and then he remembered the brief moment he was furious with Sam when he thought his best friend had asked his ex-girlfriend, Kendra, to their senior prom (instead of the other way around). How could Alex not feel jealous?

Alex was a little hesitant with his words as he wasn't sure how to explain it to his follow player. "I wasn't jealous per say…it's complicated but I do know that Casey's one of a kind and I'll probably never date another girl like her but they're other girls out there." Derek was surprised at the honesty he heard in his friend's voice.

"So you would never date a 'Casey' again?" Derek questioned before both friends took a sip from their drinks.

Alex shook his head from side to side. "I don't think there is another 'Casey' out there. She's definitely something." He clarified with a chuckle.

"If you say so man." Derek stated with a shrug before turning his attention back to the game at the exact moment that Ralph had missed his shot.

Alex was all out of ideas at this point. It didn't seem like Derek was believing a word he was saying and Alex's gut was practically screaming at him to get his friend to listen and absorb his words when it came to the legendary brunette. "Derek, if you're brushing her off because she's your stepsister; don't. I know you'll regret it."

Derek didn't want to believe what he was hearing, he couldn't. It was already bad enough that some of his views on his older stepsister were changing because of the Winchesters' presence as well as his friends from Toronto but now one of his friends was telling him to give Casey a chance, to really see if there was something more between them. That suggestion both intrigued and frightened the graduate. Derek Venturi wasn't afraid of change but that right there was too much in the span of a day for him to consider. _But what if he's right? _The little voice questioned him at the back of his mind. _What if Alex is right about Casey?_

Derek shook his head, a lame attempt to shake his forbidden thoughts about his stepsister away. "I've known her for the past three years Alex and she's been a pain in my ass…a source of entertainment, yes but still a pain in my ass. Stepsister or not, she's not someone I would date." He stated with confidence and he was relieved when Alex didn't sense a bit of doubt in his statement…Derek didn't even like that he was aware of the doubt himself.

Alex rolled his eyes for his friend's stubbornness. "If you really got to know her Derek or were given a chance to see half of who I saw, you wouldn't be saying that." He stated with such conviction that Derek couldn't ignore it, but he had to because this conversation was starting to make him see things that he didn't want to.

"Whatever man." Derek brushed off the statement with ease as he watched Sam win his game against Ralph. Derek was eager to end this conversation so he made the move to call next game.

Alex saw Derek's escape plan and quickly pulled him back to his seat. "Venturi I'm serious. Use the bet to your advantage tonight and really get to know Casey because knowing you, you have probably been blaming her for the merger between both your families." He stated in a tone that told Derek that he wasn't messing around and that he knew what he was talking about.

Derek groaned but he didn't want to argue with his friend, he just wanted the conversation to be over. "Fine."

Alex smirked. "Great and if you actually feel something for her, don't deny it." He advised before his attention scanned their group to check on his roommates as they continued to talk to the Winchesters. Alex chuckled when Tyler came into his sights. "I mean, Tyler still thinks that if he ever saw Casey again that he might have a chance with her. Wonder how he's gonna pull that off if she's with Devon tonight." He finished with an amused laugh before taking a long swig of his beer.

Derek rolled his eyes at the ridiculous fantasy Tyler had while he tried to forget Alex's advice. "Yeah, what is with those two?"

Alex shrugged. "I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you."

That's all Derek got on the subject since Alex decided that he wanted to play Winner in a game of pool but Derek quickly suggested a team game instead, causing Derek and Sam to team up against Alex and Ralph.

* * *

After dancing to a variety of songs that had their bodies so close together as they moved in sync to the beat or so far apart as they went crazy on the dance floor, the best friends headed back to the bar to grab their drinks while they continued to catch up along the way. They had many mini conversations as they danced close together and they still couldn't believe that they had lost touch with one another since she left Toronto. They had made it a promise to each other that they wouldn't do that again, that they would email, text, video chat or even snail-mail each other if it came down to it (even though it would be very difficult with Casey traveling a lot) but no matter what, they would keep in contact. It had more to do with the fact that Devon wanted constant confirmation that his best friend was alive and well on her quest to find her mother's killer.

"Should we join back up with the others?" Devon questioned as they waited for their drinks.

Casey pouted before she exploded into a fit of giggles. "I guess so."

Devon laughed. "Don't be like that. I can't hog you all to myself." He pointed out just as Miranda came back with their drinks.

Casey smirked at Devon before she thanked the blonde waitress but the young hunter wasn't surprised when she was slipped a piece of paper. The brunette raised her eyebrow in question at the smiling blonde behind the counter, who only mouthed one word before she retreated to help another customer. _Dean_.

Casey chuckled before grabbing her beer and heading towards the rest of the guys. Devon followed close behind Casey as he had a smirk on his face as he saw the little change between the two women.

"You gonna give it to him?" He questioned out of curiosity as he followed in step with her.

She gave a dramatic sigh. "Don't have much of a choice." She stated before their group came into their sights. "We're back!" She eagerly greeted, not thrown in the slightest at the sight of Dean talking to Tyler or Sam talking to Carter while Derek, Alex, Sam and Ralph where playing a game of pool together. She quickly made her way towards Dean, who had turned his attention to his sister when she made her appearance known.

"Have fun?" Dean questioned the duo as they approached his table, his conversation with Tyler coming to a stop.

Casey smirked. "I did and I have something for you." She stated before she grabbed his hand, turned it face up so that she could slip the piece of paper into his hands. Dean gave her a curious look before he opened the folded piece of paper.

_DW,  
Meet me by the far washrooms in five minutes so I could take you somewhere private.  
I'd love to hear your idea of fun. ;D  
MG_

Dean's look of confusion turned into one of joyful mischief as he read through the note. He folded it up again and placed it in his pocket before he looked up to see two amused expressions along with one being confused but it was the amused expression on his sister's face that caused his own to falter a bit.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked her suspiciously and he had a right to as her expression turned into a smug smirk.

"You're going to break our deal, aren't you?" She couldn't help but question him as innocently as she could but she was definitely satisfied when she saw his expression falter a bit more.

Dean silently cursed to himself once again for forgetting that ridiculous deal but then Miranda's words from the note came back to the forefront of his mind. _Somewhere private. _Dean's defeated expression turned to one of mischief since that implied that he didn't have to leave the building to have his fun with Miranda and the deal specified that they couldn't _leave_ with anyone that night. "No I'm not." He confidently stated back with a smug attitude as he had found a legitimate loophole to their ridiculous deal.

Casey scowled, not really liking how quickly Dean's attitude seemed to change. "I'm not an idiot Dean. It may have been awhile since I've seen it but I'd recognize that look anywhere." She retorted back as she referred to the look that simply screamed that her brother had more in mind than talking when it came to meeting up with the newest female that had caught her brother's eye.

"Well you shouldn't." The older hunter stated before taking a needed swig of his beer, not really wanting to talk about _that_ part of his personal life with his younger sister.

The youngest hunter quirked an eyebrow at her brother. "But I do and it's telling me you're about to get lucky and that's breaking our deal." She stated the last part in a sing-song manner because she knew that her brother wouldn't break the deal they had made due to the fact that _that_ meant that _she _would have free rein of what to do that night and she had a pretty good idea that Dean didn't want that.

Dean's smirk widened at her statement. _Oh how wrong she is. _"I'm not breaking our deal because…" He paused for dramatic effect as he leaned forward to whisper into her ear. "...I found a loophole dear sister of mine and I plan to use it." Without seeing him, she could tell that he was grinning victoriously by her ear before he straightened himself up and looked towards the other people at their table. "Now if you'll excuse me." Dean excused himself from the table but before he could fully escape the group, he caught his brother's eye, gave him a quick look that told him to watch out for Casey before he turned to go find the beautiful blonde that was waiting for him.

Sam caught his brother's message loud and clear but that didn't answer his internal question of _where_ his brother was heading. Sam immediately went over to his sister for some answers (fully aware that Carter was tagging along too). "Where's Dean going?"

Casey turned her head a bit when she heard her brother's voice. "He found a loophole." She stated as she opened her beer with her ring before gulping down the liquid as she tried to get the idea of her brother and sex out of her head.

Sam laughed at his sister's antics and at her words. _I should have known. _He mused to himself as he took a seat in the empty chair, which happened to be his original seat. "That option did cross my mind. I'd be more surprised if he hadn't found a loophole in getting what he wanted."

Casey groaned because her brother was right. "I was hoping he wouldn't find the loophole."

The middle Winchester shook his head with a laugh. "This is Dean we're talking about; when he wants something, he'll go and get it himself." He explained as he took a gulp from his beer as he noticed the subtle look between Tyler, Carter and Devon as the three roommates thought of another one of their friends who had a very similar mentality to that of Dean Winchester.

Casey instantly recognized the motto but it now had her thinking of two boys instead of one when it came to mind. "I guess that mentality hasn't changed since I've been away." She stated before taking a small sip of her beer as she continues to pace herself with her alcohol consumption.

"Nope, he's just expanded on where it applies to." Sam confirmed as his eyes settled on the teams game of pool that was still going on.

There was a bit of a pause before she looked to her brother, not really liking that she has to even ask this question. "So how long until we could leave for Jason's party then?"

Sam scoffed at the question, not entirely believing that he's talking about this with his sister. _Why must I always deal with the difficult subjects? _He questioned himself before he turned to Casey with a smirk on his face. "Not for awhile Case. Not for awhile."

Casey groaned. "Perfect." She muttered sarcastically under her breath. She immediately pushed the subject out of her head as she turned her attention to her friends from Toronto. "So boys, how have you been?"

Devon took a swig of his beer as he took a seat while Carter and Tyler found seats of their own before they filled Casey in on what's been going on in their lives; mainly focusing on their adventures during their freshman year at the University of Toronto.

* * *

Heavy panting could be heard in the dark makeshift bedroom on the second floor of _Hunter's Bar and Grill _(one that the owner's children used whenever they had a late shift or when they were just too hammered to drive home or when they just wanted some alone time with a special someone) as the couple slowly came down from their euphoric high that they had reached moments ago.

If it weren't for the loud music that could be heard from below, Dean was pretty sure that he could hear the gorgeous blonde's heartbeat but he could definitely feel it as he nuzzled her neck while leaving butterfly kisses at her pulse point, which resulted in a few moans.

"You know…I never thought…I'd be able to…repay you." Miranda said a little breathless as she continued to inhale as much air as she could at the time but she still had a sated smile on her face. _Sex_ _with Dean Winchester was nothing like I could have imagined._ She giggled at the thought.

She could feel the rumble of his responsive laugh above her as he held his weight above her. "You didn't have to repay me. I was just doing my job." Dean humbly replied as he pulled back to look at her face, thankful that the moonlight was shining through the window as its beams hit her face perfectly.

She gave him an awed expression as she lightly pushed him off her, signaling that she wanted to sit up. He took the hint and backed off but once they were both sitting up right, the hunter couldn't help but pull her closer to him as he relished from the warmth that her body provided. "You do so much more than your job Dean. You give people like me a second chance at life. How could I not thank you?" Miranda told him sincerely since she practically owned this man her life.

Dean didn't know what to say but her words definitely meant a lot to him as it assured him that sacrificing his chances at a normal life was worth it if it meant that he was able to give people like Miranda a second chance to live their lives. "I guess you remembering is thanks enough but I like your version a lot better." Dean teased before he pulled her in for another lustful kiss.

She broke apart from the kiss moments later when she needed more air in her lungs. "No one's ever-"

He quickly cut her off. "We don't make it a habit to see the ones we saved again...its too risky." He explained but by the tone of his voice, she could tell that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well I'm a lucky girl then." Miranda quipped as an attempt to lighten the mood.

Dean smirked. "Very lucky." He leaned in towards her once again before he captured her lips into another searing kiss. They got so into it that Dean had easily maneuvered Miranda back to lying on her bed. She giggled when he started to kiss down her neck once again.

She gave a half moan/half sigh before she halted Dean in his actions. "I should probably hit the floor again. Brandon's already covered for me enough tonight as it is." Miranda sadly explained since she didn't want her time with Dean to end. She knew her chances of seeing him again were slim to none so she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could but she was grateful for the time she already had with him.

Dean groaned, not liking that he had to agree with the woman but she did have a point. "Yeah, I should probably hit the road. I'm supposed to drive Casey to her grad party. She'll probably want to go to it now." He stated as he started searching for his things.

Miranda nodded her head as she watched the hunter dress himself, admiring his sculpted body as he did so. "Probably." Once he was halfway done getting changed, Miranda started getting dressed herself before she headed over to the mirror as she tried to clean herself up.

Once Dean deemed himself presentable to return back downstairs, he was about to head for the door but he stopped in his tracks when he saw that Miranda wasn't following him. "You coming?"

She smirked at him before turning back to the mirror. "I need to freshen up before I go back out there. One of us has to look presentable." She quipped, causing Dean to give her a playful glare.

"Ha ha." Dean mocked as he closed the distance between him and his _date_, giving her another scorching kiss as a way of saying thanks.

When they pulled apart, Miranda had a dazed look on her face. "What was that for?" She asked a little breathlessly.

Dean chuckled a bit. "Just…thank you for remembering." He stated as hazel-green eyes met her cobalt blue eyes and she could see it in those eyes that he was referring to so much more.

Miranda gave him a shy smile. "Thank you for saving me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and your family Dean." She told him once again before giving him a kiss on the cheek. He returned the favor with a kiss to her forehead before he headed for the door again, stopping at the threshold before he left.

"I'll see you downstairs." Dean stated, getting an affirmative nod from the beautiful woman, before he headed back downstairs to the bar while she continued to straighten herself up.

By the time that Dean returned to the crowd, it seemed to have doubled in size as if the night was just beginning for the town. He made his way through the throngs of people as he tried to find his siblings and his sister's friends. It wasn't hard as they seemed to still be around the same pool table that he had left them at but it seemed like the groups have switched off again as Casey and Devon were playing pool against Ralph and Carter while both Sams were talking to Derek and Alex at the table. It was odd seeing them all getting along with his siblings as if they've known each other for awhile but it looked like a few beers might have lightened the group up and he had a slight suspicion that someone snuck the graduates a few sips of the good stuff while he was gone.

Dean smirked as he approached the group. "Anyone miss me?"

"Did you have a good time?" Casey questioned her brother as Devon took his appointed shot in the game. When she didn't hear a response, she turned to face her brother and that's when she saw that suggestively raised eyebrow of his. He chuckled when she rolled her eyes at him. "A simple yes or no would suffice. I don't need details Dean…I rather not be scarred for life." Casey defended her curiosity on the topic, hoping that if she got it over with now, then Dean wouldn't mention it at all in her presence for the rest of her night.

Dean smirked at his sister's words. "Always a drama queen Baby Girl."

Casey placed her free hand on her hip as the other one held onto her cue stick. "If the roles were reversed you _so_ wouldn't want details from me and you know it." She retorted back smugly as she watched Dean's smirk falter just a bit as her words conjured up images he rather not have flash through his mind.

"Great, that thought just spoiled my mood Case." He groaned out causing her to laugh while she moved out of the way so that Devon could get to his next shot.

"Then my job here is done." Casey beamed before Dean muttered a 'whatever' as he headed over to Sam and the others at the table.

Sam Winchester had witnessed the scene between his siblings and he couldn't help but take a jibe at his brother once he approached them. "I thought last night was enough Dean?" He quipped causing the older hunter to release a chuckle as he slapped his brother on the back as a greeting.

"You could never have enough Sammy." Dean stated with such conviction as he remembered the redhead from the night before (she couldn't compare to Miranda), causing Sam to roll his eyes while the other three had amused expressions on their faces due to the hidden context. Dean took in his surroundings and while there were a bunch of girls around, there weren't any near the table, much to his disappointment. _What the hell did my brother do the whole time I was gone? Talk to Casey's friends? _Dean groaned at the thought. "Now please tell me that while I was away, you chatted up a few girls."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother once again. "I'm not you Dean."

"Which is a shame." Dean admitted with a dramatic sigh as if it were just a burden that his statement was true.

"Anyways but I did learn a few things that Casey never mentioned." Sam announced victoriously as he looked around his table of 'resources' while Dean's excitement increased as all the possible things Sam could have learned entered his brain. _At least he was productive about something tonight. _Dean mused to himself before he spoke.

"Really? What kinds of things?"

"Repeat them Sam and I'll never forgive you! His loss for not being here." Casey practically shouted as she made her way over towards the table as her pool game had come to an end with her and Devon winning.

Sam laughed. "You heard the lady. You snooze, you loose."

Dean shook his head out of disappointment for his brother's use of the ridiculous cliché. "Now that is just lame Sammy."

Sam shrugged his shoulders, fighting the urge to tell his brother that his name is _Sam_ for the thousandth time but he'd let it go for tonight. "Still not telling you Dean."

Dean glared at both his siblings. "Fine but are you ready to go?" He questioned his siblings before he looked to Casey for an answer. "Didn't you want to go to that grad party Casey?" He reminded her, causing the youngest Winchester's attitude to perk up at the idea.

Casey's eyes lit up at the idea and she couldn't believe she actually forgot the party; she was just having too much fun with the guys at the bar and she didn't want to leave, she didn't want it to end. "Oh yeah! Let's go!" She exclaimed as she grabbed her leather jacket off of the chair she left it on when they first arrived to _Hunter's Bar and Grill_, revealing Dean's jacket underneath it.

Sam stood up from his seat and put his jacket on while his siblings did the same while checking their pockets for all their belongings. "Well, let's go find Mr. Galloway and say our goodbyes." The middle Winchester suggested as he looked between his siblings.

Dean nodded. "And thank him for the beer." Casey piped in, causing Dean to snap his fingers in agreement.

"That too."

Casey turned to her fellow graduates. "Will I see you guys at the party?" She questioned with eager nods from Ralph and Sam while Derek seemed to be zoned out for the moment, which got the youngest hunter very curious as to what her pseudo-stepbrother was thinking about so much.

"Yeah, we'll leave in a bit and meet you there." Sam Richards answered when he saw that his best friend wasn't going to answer, which kind of surprised the blonde hockey player. _What's on his mind now? _He couldn't help but wonder when it came to Derek Venturi.

Casey smiled when she got a response before she turned her attention to her first group of friends in Ontario. "What about you guys? You calling it a night or are you tagging along?" She questioned as she walked into Devon's waiting arms. He kissed her temple and it was a good enough answer for her; _he_ was going wherever she went that night.

"Bring on the party!" Tyler declared as he bumped his fist in the air, earning a few chuckles from his roommates.

Casey giggled. "Awesome! See you guys there!" She waved them all goodbye, gave Devon a kiss on the cheek before following Sam and Dean to the bar to find the Galloway family, leaving the rest of the guys to figure out if they wanted to leave the establishment now or later.

It didn't take long for the Winchesters to find the three Galloways at the far corner of the bar counter. Charlie Galloway was the first to wish the hunters well and to be safe as he gave the boys a handshake while their little sister got a hug from the owner. Brandon Galloway followed in his father's footsteps with the handshakes and the hug as he thanked them again for what they did for his family in the past but the owner's son was thrown off guard when Casey had kissed him on the cheek as she wished him well for his studies at Western. Miranda Galloway gave all three Winchesters friendly hugs as she whispered 'good luck' and 'be safe' to them while giving Sam a kiss on the cheek while she chanced one last kiss on the lips with Dean. Sadly, Dean had to pull away from another lustful kiss from the bartender as they had to go but Miranda told the trio to come back anytime when they were back in town and none of them wanted to pass that invitation up so they nodded in agreement before they hit the door.

"I like them." Casey randomly stated, breaking the silence between them, as she waited for Dean to unlock the Impala doors.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. "Maybe we'll see them the next time we visit." He suggested with his hands stuck in his jacket pockets.

Dean smirked as he unlocked his beloved car. "Maybe." He simply replied back before the three siblings hopped into the car. Once everyone was settled, Dean started the ignition before looking at his sister through the rearview mirror. "So where's this grad party?"

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**A/N #3: **So we say goodbye to the Galloway family before we head on over to the SJST High grad party where Sam and Dean will meet more of Casey's classmates (like Emily). So what did you think of the chapter? Was everyone spot on (I'm always worried about that)? Did the Winchester you want win the pool game? Do you think Derek took anything Alex said to heart? Will Casey tell Devon about her true feelings for Derek? What do you think will happen next? **PLEASE LET ME KNOW!**

**A/N #4: **Alright, I just wanted to let you know that I posted an outtake last week that wasn't mentioned in this story yet (but it will come up very soon) BUT if you ask me, if you want a dose of Dasey now, check it out and let me know what you think! [**"Surprise - Part 2"**]

**A/N #5: **As far as the next chapter is concerned, I know it won't be up before the season finale but I guess that all depends on my muse because it definitely started following to me halfway through this chapter so maybe we'll get a chapter sooner than last time BUT I'm also trying to revive some of my other stories so please keep that in mind. Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read my stories and leaving me your reviews; they definitely put a smile on my face and I love reading your thoughts about the story's progression and what you like about my crossover in general.** So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!  
**

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**Originally Published: **May 13, 2011


	14. Ch 13: Not As She Seems

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 13: Not As She Seems  
**

**A/N #1: **THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks to all the people reading, reviewing and adding this to their alerts/favs because it REALLY means a lot to me! It feels amazing been able to share this story with you all and have you all enjoy the ride with me because like you guys, I don't concretely know what's gonna happen until the opportunity presents itself! So thank you so much for your interests in this story!

**A/N #2: **Alright so this chapter is shorter than usual BUT I just had to stop it where I did and the next chapter is halfway done so, hopefully it won't take that long for the next update (plus I have an outtake to work on too that's attached to this chapter).

**A/N #3: **One reason I'm posting today is in celebration of my friend **Enx2103** because if I remember correctly, today she completed her last final exam of the semester so hello summer for you Jen! So I hope you and everyone else enjoys the chapter!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The bar & grill name (_Hunter's Bar and Grill_) is mine. The following characters are mine:

_The Galloways:_ Charlie ("Boss Man"), Brandon and Miranda

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

_Party Goers: _Jason Donovan (host)

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"How I Met Your Stepbro", "Things That Go Bump In The Night" (slight party allusion) and "The Party" (slight party allusion).**  
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**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits):** "After School Special" (faintly).

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"How I Met Your Stepbro" **(NOW POSTED)**

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

Casey turned to her fellow graduates. "Will I see you guys at the party?" She questioned with eager nods from Ralph and Sam while Derek seemed to be zoned out for the moment, which got the youngest hunter very curious as to what her pseudo-stepbrother was thinking about so much.

"Yeah, we'll leave in a bit and meet you there." Sam Richards answered when he saw that his best friend wasn't going to answer, which kind of surprised the blonde hockey player. _What's on his mind now? _He couldn't help but wonder when it came to Derek Venturi.

Casey smiled when she got a response before she turned her attention to her first group of friends in Ontario. "What about you guys? You calling it a night or are you tagging along?" She questioned as she walked into Devon's waiting arms. He kissed her temple and it was a good enough answer for her; _he_ was going wherever she went that night.

"Bring on the party!" Tyler declared as he bumped his fist in the air, earning a few chuckles from his roommates.

Casey giggled. "Awesome! See you guys there!" She waved them all goodbye, gave Devon a kiss on the cheek before following Sam and Dean to the bar to find the Galloway family, leaving the rest of the guys to figure out if they wanted to leave the establishment now or later.

***SC***

"I like them." Casey randomly stated, breaking the silence between them, as she waited for Dean to unlock the Impala doors.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. "Maybe we'll see them the next time we visit." He suggested with his hands stuck in his jacket pockets.

Dean smirked as he unlocked his beloved car. "Maybe." He simply replied back before the three siblings hopped into the car. Once everyone was settled, Dean started the ignition before looking at his sister through the rearview mirror. "So where's this grad party?"

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_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

This whole night was so bizarre for Derek that he didn't even know where to begin and it was just getting started for him and the rest of his friends. He found himself retreating inside his mind at times during his celebration at _Hunter's Bar and Grill_ just so that he could fully digest all that he was learning in the span of one night. It was madness how so many people can have him questioning all that he knew about one girl, a girl who's life had intertwined with his without his permission, a girl that apparently all his friends adored, a girl that he couldn't believe he was actually getting along with…and it had to stop.

Derek was skeptical with the bet he made with Casey, thinking that it would have to take all his strength and control in order for him to be civil towards his pain in the ass stepsister but as the night progressed, Derek had found that it wasn't hard at all and that really _worried_ him. When he had removed his connection to her from his mind and everything that's happened between them over the past three years, he was surprised at how easily it was for them to actually get along. He didn't understand how she did it but it was like she held nothing against him, as if they had a clean slate for the night, as if they had just met, and it really confused him on how well they seemed to click. He didn't know what that meant but he couldn't help it as he just watched her for the night, wanting to figure out what her end game was but all he found were more questions.

Casey seemed so comfortable around everyone (as if she's known them her whole life like he has) and although she was _with_ Devon, she didn't make it uncomfortable for the others and if she was ever caught in a PDA moment with Devon, she didn't shy away from it like he thought she would, no, she would embrace it and tease whoever teased her first right back as if it were second nature to her. She was so carefree, so energetic, so…not like the Casey he's been living with. He couldn't fathom the idea that he was actually having fun hanging out with her and it really freaked him out that he would _want_ to hang out with _this_ version of his stepsister more. _What is happening to me? _He found himself asking that question a lot that night but he couldn't get an answer on his own. _This isn't supposed to be happening to me…not with her!_

He was so far gone in his observations that he hadn't heard Casey asking him if he was heading to Jason's party now or later and it wasn't until Tyler slapped his shoulder did Derek's attention return to reality, only to find that Casey and the Winchesters were nowhere in sight.

Derek saw all his friends giving him curious looks and he didn't like it. "What?"

A few of the guys seemed to be dumbstruck by Derek's attitude but Carter was the one to actually answer the graduate. "Where was your head at man?" He quipped, which caused Derek to roll his eyes.

"Nowhere, so what now?" He questioned as he looked among his friends as he avoided the questioning looks from Sam and Devon.

Sam sighed when he realized his best friend wasn't going to give him any answers. "Pay our tabs before going to Jason's. You cool with that?" He asked Derek while the rest of their friends gathered the rest of their stuff.

Derek nodded his head. "Fine let's go." He stated before following his friends to the bar so that he could pay his tab. The group was being served one final time by Miranda and Brandon Galloway as the bartending siblings split the group up to allow for each of the teenagers to pay their tab faster. It wasn't long before the group of hockey players (with the exception of Ralph) left _Hunter's Bar and Grill_ as they were getting ready to head to another party.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV

Devon had been watching Derek all night as he noticed his long time friend acting differently. He couldn't decide whether Casey was the cause or not for his friend's altered behavior but he knew that he had to find out, not only to satisfy his own curiosity but for Casey as well. Although things between him and Casey were fantastic, Devon knew that his best friend was keeping something from him and even though he was pleased when she said that she'd tell him when she was ready, he had a very deep suspicion that it involved Derek somehow.

So when the opportunity presented itself to Devon, he jumped at the chance. Before Derek could get far, Devon called out his name which caused the graduate to turn around in his tracks. Devon quickly said goodbye to his roommates, telling him he'd see them shortly, before he quickly caught up to Derek, who had one of his eyebrows quirked up out of curiosity.

"Hey Derek, need some company?" Devon nonchalantly asked.

Derek searched Devon's face for any indication for the sudden question but he couldn't find any so he just shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not." He stated as he dug in his pockets for his car keys. It wasn't long before both friends were inside the Prince and on the road towards the party.

Devon remained quiet throughout the first part of the drive as Derek kept on tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to an unknown beat but as the drive progressed, Devon could see that whatever was on Derek's mind was troubling him as the tapping beat got a bit more edgier. "Something on your mind Derek?" He slowly questioned, hoping that his friend wouldn't bite his head off.

Derek grunted. "It's nothing." He replied back with no emotion as he tried to forget all the things that had happened at the bar that night. He wanted to forget the night, he wanted to forget how everything seemed to be changing right before his eyes…he just wanted to forget all these new thoughts that have been manifesting in his mind recently but for some reason, he couldn't.

Devon sighed as the emotionless answer he got didn't convince him one bit. "Derek, we've been friends for almost ten years now."

"I'm well aware of that Devon. What's your point?" Derek retorted back automatically.

Devon groaned, not liking the stubbornness that he had to deal with at the moment but he was kind of grateful that it was nowhere in comparison to Casey's stubbornness. "My point is that I know when _something_ is on your mind and you can't forget it until you figure it out." He pointed out while biting back the urge to tell him that he'd rather have Derek's full attention on the road, rather than on whatever it was that was occupying his mind at the moment. "So spit it out, otherwise you're gonna spend your whole night thinking about it instead of celebrating." Devon finished off as he turned his attention to Derek, just in time to see his grip tighten on the steering wheel which caused Devon to smirk.

"I hate when you do that." Derek mumbled as he concentrated on the road ahead of him.

Devon laughed. "Of course you do…so does she." He mumbled the last part as an after thought but unfortunately for him, Derek heard him and his attention snapped to the passenger seat, instantly knowing that Devon was referring to the brunette he was trying to rid his thoughts of.

"See! That's my problem!" Derek declared through gritted teeth

Devon gave him a confused look, not really expecting this reaction at all. "What? Casey?"

Derek huffed as he kept his hands on the steering wheel. "YES! She's always been my problem but I don't get why it's affecting me so much right now!" He started ranting off because, quite frankly, the graduate couldn't take it anymore. Ever since dinner, he's already had doubts and with Alex's conversation still stuck in his head and his bet with Casey still in progress, Derek thought he might actually go insane if he didn't _talk _to someone about it but he couldn't just talk to anyone about it…no one would understand and he couldn't really blame them if they didn't because he certainly didn't understand it one bit.

Devon sighed knowing that he had to lightly tread on the subject. "Affecting you how?"

Derek's knuckles turned white once again as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I don't know! All I know is that the girl that was hanging out with us tonight was _not_ my stepsister!" He bit out angrily as he remembered the foreign feelings he felt earlier that he never allowed himself to feel before.

'_Don't deny it.'_ Alex's words continued to run through his mind and Derek truly wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel and he would have too, to get rid of those words, if he wasn't driving of course. _'If you actually feel _something_ for her, don't deny it.' _

Devon gave his confused friend an understanding smile. He was aware of the double life that Casey's had to live since her aunt got remarried and he understood _why_ Derek was so confused right now. _Everything he knew about her is being ripped out from right under him. _Devon mused to himself as he allowed Derek to cool down a bit before he spoke. "But what if it was Derek? What if the girl you saw tonight was the real Casey?"

"Then who the hell have I been living with?" Derek asked automatically as if it were a reflexive response for him.

Devon sighed as he scratched the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, only a part of her but that'll change after tonight."

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion, a gesture he found himself doing a lot that night. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Devon stated calmly yet firmly since he wasn't going to say more about it.

Derek got the message loud and clear even if it only confused him even more. Devon didn't say anything further as the drive continued, something Derek appreciated since his thoughts were still scattered to a point that it even surprised him that his driving ability wasn't being affected.

It wasn't long before Derek finally got the courage to ask his good friend a question that he's had on his mind since he saw Devon and Casey kissing for the first time that night. "Devon, how long have you known Casey?"

Devon chuckled a bit under his breath. "Believe it or not, I met her a few months before you did, although I never put it together that it was _you_ specifically she met but you know what I mean." He explained with a laugh as he remembered that time very well as that was the birth of Casey's 'alter ego' as he sometimes called it.

He remembered how she reacted to the news, how she spoke her worries to him and how he provided her comfort whenever the possible move to London came up. Devon remembered the day when Casey returned from London after meeting Nora's oldest potential stepson (she never told Devon names except for George's because acknowledging it out loud meant it was becoming reality for her) and when she told him the tale of how the duo wanted to break the engagement up which easily led to her to propose for her aunt instead. He remembered how it broke his heart to see her so torn up afterwards once it had sunk into her mind what her acceptance had truly meant, it hurt him to see her so devastated at the mere idea of leaving a place that she had been able to call home for so long after being promised that she wouldn't have to go. He couldn't imagine what she was going through but he was there for her in any way that she needed it.

While Devon took a quick trip down memory lane, Derek gave his friend an incredulous look as he couldn't believe the answer he received. "But the way you are with one another…I just-" Derek trailed off as he absorbed Devon's words just before a few of Casey's own words echoed in his mind.

**[Flashback]**

"_We didn't start dating until Spring Break…" She told the group back at _Hunter's Bar and Grill.

***SC***

"_Do you have a boyfriend in Toronto?" Ralph's voice echoed through his head as Derek remembered his friend asking Casey that question back when he had paid Ralph to be him for the day. _

"_It's complicated since I go to an all-girls school." Derek heard Casey admit to Ralph/Fake-Derek. _

**[End Flashback]**

Derek's eyes widened at the realization of what Casey was talking about in that moment. _She meant Devon. _

Devon smirked; having a good idea of what his confused friend was thinking yet missing the fact that his friend made an internal realization. "You thought we've known each other longer?" He finished the question as if it were his own.

Derek nodded as he brought his attention back to Devon. "Yeah but can you really blame me?"

"No but we always did get that assumption." Devon admitted with a laugh as more memories of his time with Casey came flooding back. Whether they were dating or not, people always assumed that the duo knew each other for a very long time, like since birth, instead of the mere months prior when they actually met.

Derek stored that piece of information into the back of his mind before he asked another question that he already knew the answer to…he just wanted his friend's take on it. "Who ended it? You or her?" He questioned while ignoring Casey's answer that echoed through his mind; _"We broke up mutually just before I had to move here."_

Derek gave the teenager a sad smile. "It was mutual. It ended the day she had to move here." Derek could hear the tinge of sadness in Devon's voice, unaware that he was reliving the memory of their final goodbye in Toronto; one that had many tears falling from the hunter's hazel-green eyes while he tried to comfort her with promises that he shamefully never kept (but he was determined to keep them now).

Derek didn't know what to make of that because to him, it sounded like Devon would give anything to be with Casey again. Derek swallowed the growing lump in his throat at the thought, not completely sure why the thought caused that sort of reaction out of him. He cleared his throat before he spoke again while taking his turn into the main street that led to Jason's neighborhood. "Would you two still be together if she hadn't moved?"

Once the words left his mouth, Derek didn't understand why he felt like the answer to that particular question could make him or break him.

Devon shrugged as he kept his attention on the road ahead of them. "Maybe but we wouldn't have lasted long." He stated firmly, which threw the graduate off as it seemed to contradict everything that he thought about the former couple.

"You sound so sure of yourself."

Devon rubbed his hand over his face with a bit of irritation. He didn't mind that Derek was asking all these questions and if it were up to him, he would tell Derek everything if he could since he did have a right to know (he has been living with Casey for the past three years after all so he was entitled to know _who_ he was living with) but it wasn't Devon's decision…it was Casey's. "I know where I stand with Casey, just like I knew back then." Was all he said since he didn't want to betray his best friend's trust yet he didn't want to give an outright lie to his very good friend.

Derek sighed as he turned onto Jason's street, already looking for a parking spot. "Well I still think being with her is a bad idea Devon. A girl like her carries a lot of baggage." He warned the sophomore but he knew that the warning wouldn't matter to him now.

Devon chuckled at how true that statement really was when it came to Casey. "You have no idea but she's worth the risk Derek…" He stated before he turned to look at his friend. "She'll _always_ be worth the risk." Devon declared as he watched Derek's eyes roam between him and the road, not fully aware that Derek wasn't buying what he was selling with his declaration.

"See both you and Alex keep telling me that yet I still don't see it." Derek answered as he got the Prince in the right position to parallel park along the sidewalk a few houses down from Jason's house.

Derek shut off the engine of the Prince and quickly got out of the car with Devon following shortly after him. "I know a lot more than Alex when it comes to Casey…" Devon started to say as he was getting out of the Prince. "And trust me when I say she's worth it." Devon finished off as he shut the passenger door while giving Derek a silent look that told him not to question it. All Derek did was nod his head, signifying that he heard his friend's words, before he started heading towards Jason's house where the party had already started…not even taking notice of the 1967 Chevy Impala that was parked close by.

Devon quickly got the message from Derek's silence and he didn't know whether to take their drive over as a victory or a failure but all he knew for certain now was that Derek _did_ care for Casey and maybe, just maybe, Derek wasn't aware of how much he did care for the brunette.

* * *

It didn't take long for Dean to pull up to the address that Casey had provided him but what surprised both her brothers was the size of Jason's house. Dean couldn't even consider the place a house but he would be exaggerating if he said that the place was a mansion. It was definitely obvious to the hunters that Jason's family was very well off; actually the whole neighborhood seemed to be very well off as all the houses seemed to be of the same caliber. Dean turned his attention away from the mini-mansion as he spotted a parking spot that he couldn't pass up on as it was a good distance away from the party's location. His siblings were already getting out of the Impala before Dean could shut the engine off causing him to laugh at their enthusiasm for the party.

"Somebody can't wait to get inside." Dean teased his siblings after he got out of his beloved car before locking it.

"Can you blame me?" Casey innocently asked as she stood by the Impala's trunk.

Dean chuckled. "You, no but what's your excuse Sammy?"

Sam rolled his eyes as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just curious about the place, that's all." Sam defended himself before turning his attention to the building in question. Even from afar, Sam was still impressed with the scene before him.

"Now that you mentioned it, what's the story Case?" Dean questioned as he walked to stand by his siblings before the three of them took off towards the party.

Casey took a huge breath as she linked both her arms with her brothers as they both silently laughed at the gesture. "Jason is the youngest of four in this family with his father being a really successful accountant while his mother is this famous surgeon. Most of the parties that the hockey team hosts usually take place here because the place is so big." She explained as they slowly approached the mini-mansion.

"So this grad party is hosted by the hockey team?" Sam asked as he surveyed his surroundings, noticing quite a distance between the houses. _So much property, it's amazing. _He couldn't help but think to himself.

Casey nodded her head as she remembered all the parties that Emily has _dragged_ her to in the last three years in _their_ attempts to become more popular. "Basically but it's here mainly because Jason's parents are out of town for this conference that they needed to attend tonight." She stated with a smirk but the statement caused Dean to laugh at the idea of the graduation party being unsupervised. _Clearly there isn't any other way to truly party…no parents is definitely appealing to teenagers. _Dean mused to himself before another part of his sister's statement sunk into his mind.

"Wait so they skipped their own kid's graduation?" Dean questioned, a little baffled by the idea of any parent missing such a milestone. He knew that he was thrilled that him and Sam were able to make the ceremony and he knew that their father, John, wanted more than anything to be at his daughter's graduation but how could this kid's parents skip out on him? John Winchester had a valid excuse for not being there today so what was their excuse?

Casey understood her brother's reaction so she quickly shook her head before she spoke. "No, they were there. They just had to leave immediately after the ceremony." She reassured him and she was pleased that Dean accepted it with a nod as he too took in his surroundings while the music from the party was just reaching their ears.

The Winchesters stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs, taking in the blaring music that emanated from the inside while catching glimpses through the front windows of the graduates inside. Casey started climbing the stairs, dragging her brothers with her as she approached the front door. "Okay so the kid wouldn't mind having two strangers crashing his party?" Dean questioned, not really familiar with high school parties because of his childhood…his scene was usually at a bar, not at some classmate's house.

"You're staying and that's that Dean." The youngest Winchester firmly stated before she made a grab for the doorknob.

Dean groaned. "Spending the rest of my night with a bunch of high school graduates…awesome." He sarcastically stated which caused Sam to chuckle after rolling his eyes at his brother for his obvious dissatisfaction.

Casey opened the front door with ease and it wasn't long before the music's volume increased but neither hunter cringed at the amplified sound. "And here I thought you wanted to watch my back tonight." Casey quipped at her brother as they crossed the threshold that led to a semi-empty foyer that could pass as a mini room itself. They could easily see two sets of staircases as well as three possible doorways that were filled with teenagers.

Casey waved to a few of her fellow graduates while Sam and Dean looked around them as they took everything in as they ignored the curious stares that were directed at them. On instinct Sam had his arm wrap around Casey's shoulder while Dean's hand ghosted the small of her back, as if they were telling everyone that they were there with Casey and to _not_ mess with her as long as they were around. The action didn't phase Casey one bit but she had to hold back a smug smile as she noticed the glances that were directed at her and her brothers.

"Well I-" Dean was cut off from his comeback when an excited male teenager with short black hair (Dean got the instant vibe that the boy was a jock of some kind) came rushing towards them with a smile on his face.

"Casey! You made it!" The boy greeted her with a friendly hug, causing both her brothers' eyes to widen at the unexpected action.

Casey returned the hug before pulling away, with a smile on her face. "Of course, I wouldn't miss this."

The mystery boy smiled. "Fantastic and your speech for the ceremony was amazing." He complimented her and he was pleased to be rewarded with the presence of her beautiful smile.

"Aww, thank you." Sam and Dean gave each other curious looks before Dean loudly cleared his throat causing his sister and the mystery boy's attention to be turned onto the brothers. Casey couldn't help the blush that formed which caused another curious expression to be directed at her from both her brothers. _Oh that must not look good to them. _"Oh right, guys this is the host of the party; Jason Donovan." She introduced to her brothers before turning to the mystery boy. "Jason, this is Sam and his older brother Dean."

After hearing the introductions, Jason's hand immediately sprung forward as he demonstrated host behavior and Sam Winchester didn't hesitate to take his hand in a welcoming handshake. "Nice place you got here man." Sam complimented just as their handshake ended allowing Jason to shake hands with Dean too.

"Thanks. It seems to be everyone's favorite spot to party." Jason responded once he broke his handshake with the oldest Winchester.

"Looks like it." Dean commented as he openly took in the house while his head nodded in approval.

"I don't mean to be rude but what are you guys doing at a high school party?" Jason questioned as he looked between the brothers, not sure why two older guys would want to be _here_…let alone with Casey. Now, Jason doesn't have anything against Casey, she's actually helped him out a lot but it wasn't a normal occurrence for him to _see_ Casey hanging out willingly with guys like Sam and Dean. He's only seen Casey around Emily, Derek and his friends, and the odd classmate acquaintance that she happened to run into so he couldn't help but wonder what her story was between the two older guys.

Dean shrugged his shoulder before bring his attention back to the host of the party. "Playing big brother for the night." Dean nonchalantly stated as he playfully tugged Casey into his side, causing her to laugh when she saw Jason's eyes widen at the words.

Jason was a bit speechless at the statement; not completely sure if Dean was joking or not. It wasn't until a few moments later did Jason give Casey a panicked look. "Wait, Derek's not coming?" Jason immediately questioned because in the past it was well known among the team that Derek would subtly keep watch for his stepsister. Some always brushed it off as him being obliged but there were a few who knew that it could have been for other reasons…and Jason was one of them.

Casey gave Jason an incredulous look as if she was asking why he would ask such a question in response to Dean's answer.

Jason saw the look and instantly put his hands up to surrender before he tried to explain his reasoning. "What? I know he's your stepbrother but he still looks out for you, no matter how much you _both_ deny it." He rambled on, hoping that she'd stop looking at him as if she were about to lecture him.

Dean chuckled. "You don't say." Dean quipped before getting elbowed in the gut by Casey, causing him to groan.

Casey rolled her eyes. "He's coming Jason, don't worry."

"I wasn't worried." Jason quickly refuted back but Casey wouldn't believe it. Everyone knew that it wasn't really a party unless Derek Venturi made an appearance and since he was the hockey captain, it was kind of mandatory for him to attend all hockey hosted events. Before Jason could defend himself even more, he heard his name being called in the background. He groaned as it was one of the downsides of being the party host before he looked back to Casey and the Winchesters. "Anyways, you guys have fun."

Jason was about to walk away but Casey's arm quickly snagged Jason's arm, halting him in his tracks. "Before you go Jason, is Emily here?" She questioned quickly causing Jason to give her an amused expression since it was a very familiar routine with them when it came to parties.

"Yeah, she's around. Last time I saw her I think she was in the kitchen getting drinks." Jason explained as he pointed them to the direction of the kitchen.

Dean's ears perked up at the sound of beverages. "What drinks are we talking about?"

Jason shrugged. "All kinds; soda, water and varying types of alcohol." He listed off one by one with ease.

Dean's face lit up with a mischievous glint as he was very pleased that he wasn't stuck at a dry party. "My kind of party."

Casey smirked. "Thanks Jason." She kindly stated, giving his arm an appreciative squeeze before she released it.

Jason smiled. "No problem and have fun." He stated as he bid the trio goodbye as he went to quickly find the person who called for him earlier.

Immediately after their host's departure, the Winchesters headed in the direction that he pointed out as the kitchen while Dean's hand still ghosted the small of Casey's back while she tugged Sam's hand as he slightly dragged behind.

"You guys seem to be _friendly_." Dean whispered the tease into his sister's ear as he watched her give short nods to a few of her classmates.

"He's Derek's teammate. What's your point?" Casey retorted as she ignored her brother's implied tone.

Sam was quickly by his sister's side, sandwiching her between him and Dean. "I thought you weren't close to any of Derek's friends." He mused out loud but when Casey quirked an eyebrow at him, silently reminding him of Sam Richards and Ralph Papadapolis, he quickly turned to amend what he had said. "You know which ones I mean."

Casey sighed, knowing full well that her brothers won't let the accusations go unless she told them what her connection was to Jason. "Jason's a great guy who happened to be failing two classes we shared together so I offered to tutor him. Not many people knew about it but we didn't advertise it either." She explained briefly her tutoring arrangement that she had with Jason that started at the beginning of the year. Before senior year, Jason and Casey were aware of each other due to Derek but it was Jason that came looking for Casey in hopes that she'd help him out in two of his classes in fear of loosing his potential at a hockey scholarship (even if he didn't financially need it). They quickly got along with one another and Casey had created a specialized studying technique that allowed Jason maximum results but no one knew the extent of their business _relationship_.

"Which classes?" Sam interjected with a curious tone just as they entered the massive kitchen.

Dean rolled his eyes for his brother's interest in someone else's education. "Does it matter?" He asked while he made a beeline for the cooler, grabbing three beer bottles before quickly returning to his siblings.

Casey gave a light laugh before she turned to Sam. "Latin and Law."

Dean mulled that around in his mind. _How suiting. _"Your specialty." He commented as he handed the two beers to his siblings.

Before any of the Winchesters could open their new beverages, there was a high shriek coming towards them. "CASEY! You're here!" The ecstatic voice came from a slightly tipsy graduate with a dark olive complexion and curly black hair as she wore a summer sundress with a slight flower pattern. _Emily Davis. _

Both brothers gave the mysterious girl an amused expression while the newcomer plowed Casey over with a hug, causing the youngest Winchester to laugh at her friend's behavior. "Hey Em! How's the party?" She questioned as she pulled out of her friend's arms.

"It's awesome! How was dinner with the family? No fights with Derek right? Where is Derek? If you're here then Derek should be here otherwise how else did you get here?" Emily rambled off at rapid speed before frantically looking around her once she mentioned Derek in her rambling.

Casey had to stifle her giggles as she tried to get her friend's attention once again. "Woah, Em slow down." She told her friend before she truly took in Emily's behavior which consisted of her slight short attention span and her fidgety movements. Casey shook her head out of amusement. "How much have you had already?"

Emily was about to deny that statement but with Casey's pointed look directed right at her, she was still in her right mind to know not to argue against her stubborn best friend. "A few." She stated with a defeated sigh.

Dean gave an amused chuckle. "I'll say. If you don't take it easy you won't remember the rest of the night." He quipped just as he was opening his beer bottle before taking a swig of the familiar liquid.

Emily absentmindedly nodded in agreement as she looked down at her fidgety hands. "Yeah you're probably right."

Dean smirked. "I usually am." He stated in a smug tone, causing both his siblings to roll their eyes at him.

"Uh…who are you?" Emily confusedly stated as she finally looked to _who_ she was just speaking to her. She titled her head to the side as she tried to search through her fogged mind for the identity of the man before her but she just couldn't do it. "You remind me of Derek but you are definitely not Derek." She found herself saying before she could stop herself from uttering the words which caused a blush to instantly form on her face.

Casey turned to her brothers as she tried to keep her amused smile from showing but she had no such luck. "Sorry, she rambles when she's drunk." She explained causing both her brothers to give her amused expressions.

Emily tried to give Casey a playful shove but it kind of backfired on her when Casey didn't budge. "I'm not drunk. I am perfectly alert and really excited that we graduated!" Emily protested with such enthusiasm that she could have started jumping up and down in joy if she wanted to.

Casey shrugged her shoulders, not buying her friend's statement one bit. "If you say so Em."

"Maybe I should get her a bottle of water or take her out for some fresh air." Sam suggested, not really liking the idea of one of Casey's friends being so intoxicated so quickly.

"I'm…woah, now who are you?" Emily's eyes widened once they landed on the tallest Winchester as she wasn't use to seeing someone so tall at these parties before.

Dean couldn't help but snicker before taking another swig of his beer. "That's Sam and that's his older brother Dean." Casey introduced the brothers while trying to get her own giggles under control as it was always amusing to her how people would react so differently to seeing Sam and then turned to her brothers as she was about to introduce them to her best girl friend. "Guys, this is Emily Davis."

Sam and Dean both had expressions on their faces as if a light bulb just went on in their heads. "Ah, best friend Emily from London. It's nice to finally meet you." Sam greeted with a smile, which caught Emily off guard.

"You…too." Emily flustered a bit as she was blushing even more now when she realized that her hesitance was more noticeable than she had liked.

Dean let out an amused chuckle as he looked around the slightly crowded kitchen. "I normally don't say this but you should really take it easy on the alcohol…for now at least. You don't want to forget your own graduation party now do you?" He questioned out loud before he directed the last part to Emily with a questioning quirk in his eyebrow.

Emily gulped a bit as if the presence of the Winchesters brought out the drunk yet shy side of Emily. "I guess not."

Dean smirked before taking a swig of his beer. "Perfect. Now what can we actually _do_ at this party?" Dean questioned but when he saw that fleeting look that Casey had towards what he assumed was where a majority of the dancing was taking place, he had to stop her thought process. "Do not say dancing because you know I don't dance."

Sam laughed at his brother's instant retort of the possible dance idea.

Casey stifled her giggles as Dean glared at her as if he was daring her to laugh along their brother. "Alright, well I could mingle for a bit while you and Sam could hang by the pool table." Casey suggested as she opened her own beer with her ring once again before taking a huge swig of the liquid, already loving the now familiar feel of the liquid burning down her throat. Emily's eyes widened at the nonchalant attitude her best friend had when consuming the alcohol in her possession.

Dean's eyes widened and he was thankful that he wasn't taking a swig when he heard the options (as he was pretty sure he would have done a spit-take). "Kid's got a pool table?" Dean questioned in an incredulous tone. Casey nodded. "Man this family is loaded!"

Casey smirked out of amusement as she slowly moved out of the kitchen, with her brothers following close behind her. "You haven't seen anything yet Dean, this house has loads of entertainment for us." Casey explained before spanning her hands out, as if telling them to look around.

And that's what they did.

Once out of the kitchen, the brothers had a clear view of a few of the rooms that were crowded with either graduates dancing by the makeshift dance floor with a DJ doing his job, graduates lounging around as they mingled with one another or the graduates were occupied in many party games in another room like beer pong, keg stand or even a game of pool.

Even though they couldn't see it, Casey knew the party wasn't restricted to what her brothers could only see. The youngest Winchester knew that there were some that could be outside hanging by the pool, or scattered around the house as couples sometimes looked for more quiet places to hang out, or there were mini hang outs who wanted to have their own little party.

Unaware of his sister's internal thoughts involving past parties, he finally spoke while taking all the carefree energy that the graduates were giving off. _So this is what its like to have a normal teenage life. _"I'll say." He amusedly stated before taking a swig of his beer while being fully aware of the curious female stares that he's had directed towards him since he arrived. _Now this should be interesting. _

* * *

It wasn't until Emily and the Winchesters were making their way to where the pool table and most of the drinking games were set up did Derek and Devon approach the front door of the Donovan Estate. Just as they were about to cross over the threshold, their names were called by the rest of the gang from the bar. As a greeting to the new arrivals, they all either gave one another high-fives or they bumped fists with everyone before they entered the party.

Once they stepped foot into the foyer, the guys from Toronto almost went bug-eyed as they had forgotten how rich Jason Donovan was. The guys had met the party host a couple years after Derek through their hockey little league and although they weren't great friends with the guy in comparison to Derek, they were still good acquaintances with Jason.

It wasn't long before Derek was swarmed by the rest of the student population as they greeted him with praise for his prank earlier at the ceremony or they were just greeting their high school _king_ as he finally arrived for the festivities.

"Seems like you're on top of the world Venturi." Alex commented after the swarm around Derek decreased a bit. Derek just shrugged as his response while a smug smirk formed on his face.

"It also seems like word also travels fast because here comes Jason." Sam piped in just before the party host reached their group.

"Late as usual I see." Jason quipped before high-fiving his former hockey captain.

"Lost track of the time but we're here." Derek nonchalantly stated as it wasn't a real surprise that Derek always showed up late to the party.

Jason nodded his head in agreement. "So it seems. Good to see you guys again." Jason stated as he looked between Devon, Alex, Carter and Tyler.

"Likewise." Devon commented before he scoped the room out, hoping to spot Casey among the crowd.

Before anyone else could speak, there was a loud cheer that roared through the household, catching the new arrivals off guard.

"What the hell was that?" Derek questioned before he started heading towards the noise, the rest of the gang following close behind him.

Jason was a little flustered, not sure what to say since he didn't know the source of the sudden sound outbreak but he followed Derek as he headed towards the room that was well known for the start of any party games. Jason did notice that it was a bit more crowded than the last time he made his rounds but there seemed to be a slight crowd where the beer pong games usually took place.

With Derek's status, it was easy for him to move through the crowds as they moved out of his determined path as he headed for the crowd near the beer pong table while trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach that indicated that he wasn't going to like what he found.

And his gut was right.

As he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes settled on the table just in time for the ping pong ball to land in its opponent's cup. Derek's eyes slowly roamed over the table to the person who threw the perfect shot and he was stunned to see none other than Casey McDonald with an innocent smile on her face but when his eyes met hers, he could see the mischievous glint in them once again.

His stunned eyes didn't leave her form and it was only the confident tone in her voice that broke through his initial shock. "Glad you could join us Derek, the fun was just beginning."

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**A/N #4: **So how was it? We have finally moved on from the bar and onto the graduation party! There is just so much I want to happen at this party so it's gonna be hard to decide what 'makes the cut' for the upcoming chapters. *evil grin*

**A/N #5: **Once again, how were the characters? The dynamics? The conversations? [For all the Sam!girls out there, I'm sorry but it's pretty obvious that I'm a Dean!girl hence Dean getting more lines (I can't deny how fun it is to write Dean) but it's also because nothing of Dean has really changed in comparison to canon while MY Sam never went to Stanford so I'm unsure if other parts of Sam would be changed too.]

**A/N #6: **What do you predict will happen next at Jason's party? How will Casey's game go? What are Sam and Dean to do at a _high school _party? Take a guess and wait to find out (I'm excited for your predictions and what actually comes to mind for me)!

**A/N #7: **_SPOILER _but OMG! Did you guys watch the 2hr season 6 finale for _Supernatural_? The brothers had to deal with so much it was…wow! Poor Dean having to completely give up the only other family he's over had outside of Sam! Poor Sam and dealing with the wall being broken! I don't know about you but I think something shifted in Castiel when he received all that power…maybe that will be the focus for season 7…'de-nuking' him.

**A/N #8: **Finally note but if you read this too, thank you for taking the time to read all that I wrote...it really means a lot to me! Thanks readers for all your support and please don't forget to review once again! =D

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**Originally Published: **May 25, 2011

**Edited: **May 31, 2011


	15. Ch 14: What've You Gotten Yourself Into?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 14: What Have You Gotten Yourself Into?**

**A/N #1: **Hey everyone! So sorry for the month long delay but it's been busy for me. I've written 3-4 chapters for my SPN/Twilight crossover "Battle Scars" (2 of them not posted yet) and I've been working on a little favor for another author and this chapter just had me stumped as I didn't know what to do after the game was finished. Well since I'm posting it, it means I passed that block for the moment. **=D**

**A/N #2: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews, hits and alerts you've given for this story. It truly means a lot to me to know that I'm not just writing this for myself! =D** Thank you from the bottom of my heart! **Now Enjoy the chapter!**  
**

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

_Party Goers: _Jason Donovan (host), Jordan Baker (challenger; basketball jock), Cody Collins & Brian Winters (team challengers; football jocks)

* * *

**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Fall," "Surprise" (quote), "Cheerleader Casey," "Battle of the Bands" and "Grade Point: Average."

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Pilot" (comment)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Surprise – Part 2" (slightly)

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

With Derek's status, it was easy for him to move through the crowds as they moved out of his determined path as he headed for the crowd near the beer pong table while trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach that indicated that he wasn't going to like what he found.

And his gut was right.

As he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes settled on the table just in time for the ping pong ball to land in its opponent's cup. Derek's eyes slowly roamed over the table to the person who threw the perfect shot and he was stunned to see none other than Casey McDonald with an innocent smile on her face but when his eyes met hers, he could see the mischievous glint in them once again.

His stunned eyes didn't leave her form and it was only the confident tone in her voice that broke through his initial shock. "Glad you could join us Derek, the fun was just beginning."

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

Sam and Dean didn't know what to say when Casey and Emily had directed them towards the _games room_, as Dean had dubbed it after hearing all the things teenagers tended to do in that room during Jason's parties (ranging from pool games to drinking games), as they had entered a room that consisted of mainly the male population participating in games while the females flirted with them for some attention.

Casey's eyes immediately fell onto the occupied pool table causing a pout to form on her lips, much to Emily's surprise. The youngest Winchester turned to her brother before she gave a dramatic sigh. "I guess you're gonna have to wait Dean, table's taken."

"Now that's a shame." Dean stated dramatically as he played along with his sister's disappointed state. Before the oldest hunter could think of something better to do, there was a round of cheers coming from the table nearby, as it looked like a winner had just been declared in a game of…beer pong. Dean smirked as an idea popped into his mind just as the beer pong winner was asking if anyone else wanted to challenge him. As Dean looked to his sister, it seemed like she was already ahead of him in the plan as she started to drag him towards the table.

"I have a challenger for you Jordan." Casey declared, catching the attention of the beer pong winner.

Jordan Baker gave the brunette an appreciative once over before mulling over her declaration through his mind. "And who would that be McDonald?"

"How about-"

"Casey will be your next challenger." Dean interrupted Casey with a mischievous glint in his eyes but at the sound of her name, the youngest Winchester turned to her brother with wide eyes. Dean ignored his sister's eyes as he kept his eye contact with Jordan Baker, the beer pong winner. Dean wouldn't mind playing against the jock but he figured it would be a lot more entertaining to see his sister beat the jock in front of all her classmates. _No matter which Winchester he faces, the kid is gonna lose so let's show them who Casey really is. _He happily mused to himself.

"Casey?" Jordan skeptically asked with a raised eyebrow as he tried to hold in his laughter at the idea of going up against the biggest keener of the graduating class.

Casey ignored Jordan's disbelieving comment as she turned a heated glare towards her oldest brother. "Uh Dean, I was kind of thinking of _you_ being his opponent, not _me_."

Dean chuckled before taking another swig of his beer. "And miss out on the possibility of you playing beer pong; no way Baby Girl." He declared with amusement lacing his voice from the idea of Casey beating these teens at beer pong as well as from the shocked expressions some graduates had around them when he called her by the nickname he's used for her since she was a baby.

Casey bit her lip. "I don't know Dean."

Jordan laughed as he watched her hesitant behavior. "Just walk away Casey, I'm just gonna find an opponent anyways after our short game." He smugly stated as he started setting up the next beer pong game; rearranging the two sets of ten water-filled red beer cups into a triangle before pouring equal amounts of beer into twenty red cups prior to splitting the cups among the two sides. **(A/N: I'm going for the version where a ping pong ball never needs to touch the alcohol that will be consumed) **

Emily and the Winchesters whipped their heads to the smug looking Jordan. "Excuse me?" Casey sneered with a glare directed at the jock in question.

On instinct Jordan just wanted to take a step back from the brunette as he was fully aware, thanks to Derek Venturi, of how far Casey's anger could really go but he fought that urge by giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "I'm a champ and you're inexperienced. There's no contest."

Casey immediately passed her unopened beer to Dean before she placed her hands on her hips as she approached the table. "Do you wanna put your money where your egotistical mouth is Jordan?" She challenged with so much hunter attitude that she was very pleased when she saw the slight flinch and the slight doubt in Jordan's eyes before his smug mask was pulled over his face.

"Easy money." Jordan simply retorted back as his acceptance for the challenge.

Casey smirked as she walked to her end of the table, checking the cups to make sure it had the appropriate contents inside. "We'll see about that. So who shoots first?" She questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest while out of the corner of her eye she saw both her brothers and Emily taking a spectator spot just off to the side of the table.

"Ladies first since it won't make a difference." Jordan stated before bouncing one of the ping pong balls across the table which Casey immediately caught with no hesitation.

Casey shrugged. _His loss, my gain. _"If you say so. How much we playing for?"

Jordan tapped his finger against his chin as he pondered her words. "How about winner just continues the tournament and collects whatever winnings at the end?"

Casey shook her head out of disagreement. "I don't think so because then I'd never get a chance to dance." She stated with ease but the implication caused Jordan to growl under his breath. _Who does this keener think she is? She won't outlast me! _He mused furiously before Casey continued to voice her alternative suggestion. "If I'm playing, its money up front at the start of every game and since you're so reluctant on forking over money in the first place, how about we each place fifty dollars into the pot…winner walks away with one hundred dollars." She offered with an innocent smile which threw Jordan off but her brothers had to stifle their chuckles as they knew what game their sister was _really_ playing at.

"Like I said; _easy_ money." Jordan said as he pulled out his wallet to obtain two twenties and a ten dollar bill before he smacked it down in the middle of the table yet off to the side so that it wouldn't interfere with their game.

"Excellent." Casey stated with a smile before she turned her attention to Dean as she brought forth her big puppy dog eyes that she had learned from Sam when they were kids. Dean's eyes widened when he saw her expression and he instantly knew what she was asking of him. He instantly shook his head _no_ but that didn't stop her from giving him that look.

After much scrutiny, Dean caved in with a groan as he handed the two beers to Emily before reaching into his leather jacket and retrieving his wallet. Casey's hand was already out and waiting as Dean pulled out a crisp new fifty dollar bill that he'd gotten when they stopped in Niagara Falls the previous day. He placed the bill into her hand but not before telling her that she better pay him back afterwards. She nodded her head in agreement before taking the red bill and placing it with Jordan's money on the table.

"Take your shot McDonald." Jordan suggested as he took a step back from the table as he crossed his arms over his chest.

As Casey got ready to make her first shot, she saw out of the corner of her eye Emily return the two beers to Dean before he took a swig of his own and it looked like Sam had finally opened his bottle too as he was taking a gulp of his beer as he waited. When the young hunter returned her attention to the table, she positioned herself correctly before applying enough force onto the ping pong ball to allow it to bounce once before it landed perfectly into the middle water-filled cup that was located in the row with only three cups.

Just as she looked up to see the shocked look on Jordan's face, Casey saw out of the corner of her eye the arrival of Derek and the rest of the guys and she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. "Glad you could join us Derek, the fun was just beginning."

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Her confident tone finally broke through Derek's stunned expression causing him to check what scene exactly he had just walked in on and he was definitely surprised like he was moments ago. From the looks of it, the beer pong match had just started and by the look of that scowl on Jordan Baker's face, Casey had just performed an unexpected shot that started off the game. He could see the innocent smile still plastered on her face as well as the mischievous glint in her eyes as she stared Jordan down. He could see off to Casey's side where the Winchester brothers watched with amused expressions on their faces while Emily had an expression of pure shock on her face (and that seemed to sober her up for the time being).

Once he noticed that some of the crowd's attention was directed onto him since Casey had made his presence known, he cleared his throat before he spoke with a slight shake of his head. "I never thought I'd say this but what trouble have you gotten yourself into now Case?" Derek was surprised at the teasing tone that accompanied his comment as it came out automatically but it wasn't like his usual mock-tease type of response that was usually associated with Casey but it was something else. He didn't like the automatic change one bit as it was something that he did recognize himself doing in the past…when he was with potential _dates_.

Casey laughed wholeheartedly, surprising her fellow graduates around her, before turning her attention to her pseudo-stepbrother. "Would you believe me if I said _the__ usual_?" She quipped.

Derek tilted his head to the side as he thought her words over. Before tonight he knew what his answer would have been but tonight had been a night full of unexpected surprises thanks to his stepsister. "Nope." He replied back with a smirk as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Casey gave a dramatic sigh before turning her attention to Jordan. "Well how about this; Jordan here said I couldn't beat him and you know how well I respond to comments like that." Casey explained nonchalantly as she watched Jordan remove the cup she had sunk the ping pong ball in out of the triangle formation.

Derek laughed, knowing full well from personal experience where a comment like that, especially directed at Casey, would lead to. "You naturally had to prove him wrong." He voiced out loud as he slowly approached her.

Casey smiled as she briefly looked to Derek as the distance between them decreased. "Exactly. You're finally getting me Venturi." She quipped as she watched him walk closer towards her and she could see just behind him that the rest of the guys had pushed their way to the front so that they could see the table perfectly.

Derek raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Finally?" He repeated but all he got was a shoulder shrug from her. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, so what are you betting on this time?"He questioned before he stopped at her end of the table. He watched Jordan set the eliminated cup to the side as he removed the ball from the cup before toweling it dry.

"Nothing. I'm playing for money." Casey stated with ease as she watched Jordan grab the beer cup that was associated with the cup she had eliminated moments ago.

Derek's eyes widened before he snapped his attention to the brunette. "You're what?" His full attention was on the brunette as he ignored all the curious glances aimed at him and his stepsister.

Casey shrugged her shoulders as she watched Jordan hesitate in drinking his beer. "It's no big deal."

"Are you-" Derek couldn't even finish his sentence as he groaned out of frustration since he couldn't believe what he was hearing. _When had the roles reversed between them all of a sudden? _He couldn't help but ask himself before his eyes moved around her as they landed on Sam and Dean Winchester. "I thought you were supposed to watch out for her?"

Dean scoffed. "What does it look like we're doing?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow before he took another swig of his beer while enjoying the little _show_ between Casey and Derek yet wanting the game to continue.

"He actually suggested that I play her."Jordan added in while he nodded towards Dean which caused Derek's attention to snap back to Casey's opponent, a former basketball player with a really cocky attitude when it came to games.

Derek rolled his eyes as he threw his hands up in the air. "Unbelievable…and here I thought _I_ was the bad influence." Derek practically mumbled but unfortunately for him, Casey heard his last comment prompting her to give him a death glare.

"Dean is _not_ a bad influence on me." Casey stated in a determined whisper that only Derek could hear. He slowly nodded his head in understanding as he didn't want to argue with her on that for the mere fact that he didn't see a reason to (and also because of the truce he's supposed to be following at the moment). Satisfied with Derek's lack of response, Casey threw him a smirk before she turned her attention to Jordan, who still had the full beer cup in his hands. "Drink up Jordan,then shoot." She ordered her hesitant opponent.

The former basketball star gave his opponent the stink-eye. "Beginner's luck."Jordan grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear before he drank the contents of his designated beer cup.

Casey rolled her eyes as Jordan placed his empty cup off to the side. "Whatever you say now shoot." Casey stated with a pointed look as he picked up his ping pong ball as Casey's was still nestled in the small towel just at the edge of the table.

Everyone watching the game watched with bated breath as they waited for Jordan to make his first shot of the game but to every graduate's surprise, he had missed the cup but Casey wasn't hesitant to catch the ball before it bounced off the table. It was no surprise to the three hunters in the room that Jordan's aim had started to waver after downing that last cup of beer and it also wasn't a secret that this wasn't his first beer pong match of the night. _Idiot._

Without hesitation, Casey used the ping pong ball she had caught for her next shot and to everyone's shock (minus Devon and the Winchester brothers) she sunk the ball into the very front cup of the triangle formation, leading Jordan to have to drink another beer. She looked up to give Jordan a pointed smirk which pushed him to, once again, remove the eliminated cup from the formation before he removed the ball from inside the cup which happened prior to replacing the cup in his hand with a beer-filled cup. He hesitated once again before he chugged the alcohol down his throat while trying to avoid the instant burning sensation he felt as the cold liquid slid down his throat.

Once Jordan had managed to get his bearings back in order, he grabbed the ball still nestled in the towel before he readied himself for his second shot. He ignored the slight murmurs among the crowd as he released his bounce shot which ended up landing in one of the cups in the row with only two cups lined up. The smuggest smirk that the young hunter has ever seen graced her opponent's face and she couldn't help but roll her eyes once again as she held her disgust inside.

"Drink up Klutzilla." Jordan taunted as she removed his eliminated cup from the formation before taking the plastic ball out of the cup.

Derek internally cringed at Jordan's use of the dreaded nickname he gave Casey three years ago when she first started at SJST High. He carefully chanced a look to his stepsister and he was surprised to see no reaction to the nickname like he's seen in the past. He saw her calmly going through the motions of an ending round before he watched her grab the beer cup she needed to drink but when she finally looked up, that's what caused some of his fellow graduates to go wide eyed and take a small involuntary step back.

Casey gave Jordan a death glare before she spoke. "First off, don't call me that." She stated with so much venom in her voice that Derek wasn't even familiar with it before she chugged down her beer as if she were drinking water. The act alone caused many spectators to go wide eyed even more after seeing the class' super-keener consume alcohol so freely for the first time. She crushed the empty cup before smashing it on the table top. "And secondly, you're going down."

And the youngest Winchester kept her word as that's exactly what happened.

Casey got every one of her shots in leading Jordan to drink all ten beers over the course of the game while Casey only had to drink four cups of beer which led to Casey getting one hundred dollars richer (well, fifty dollars but that's once she repaid Dean back for his loan to her at the start of the game). Every graduate held stunned expressions on their faces by the time the beer pong game had ended and Jordan was really furious but Casey didn't mind since he was severely drunk by the time the game was over.

Dean couldn't stop laughing and Sam couldn't stop smiling as they watched their sister kick ass against the former beer pong king. Dean couldn't really fathom how Casey had kept her cover this whole time because from the looks he was seeing on the teenagers' faces, they'd never seen this side of their valedictorian before. Dean found that highly amusing. _She'll do an outstanding job when she returns to the field. _

Before either brother could give Casey their congratulations on her victory, Devon swooped in and gave Casey a huge hug from behind which caused her to laugh as he briefly touched a ticklish spot. Just like her brothers, Devon wasn't worried about Casey during her game as he remembered when they used to play the game together back in Toronto.

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**[FLASHBACK - 2001]**

_It had been two weeks since Casey and Devon started dating and it had been one of those weekends when Nora was away visiting George in London, so Casey and Devon hung out back at the apartment while Lizzie hung out with her soccer friends. _

"_So what do you wanna do now Cay?" __Devon questioned just after the movie ended. _

_Casey had an idea of what she wanted to do but she wasn't sure if he'd be up for the dry version. __"How about beer pong; Winchester style?" __She suggested with a smirk as she walked backwards towards the kitchen. Devon's interest increased, pushing him to follow her into the kitchen. _

"_I thought you said you can't play drinking games." __He questioned out of confusion just as she was getting out the foam cups from the lower cabinets. He remembered the first time he had offered her alcohol at a party and she had refused with the reason being her promise she had made to her brothers about refraining from alcohol while she was away from them. _

"_Oh I can play, just not with alcohol at the moment." __She explained with smirk as she set up the cups into the ten-cup triangle formation. _

_Devon nodded along before he took over the set up for the second triangle.__ "So why is it **Winchester**_ _style?" _

_Casey gave her best friend/boyfriend a huge smile before she started to rummage through the drawers for a plastic ball. __"Well, when Dean started to get exposed to the glorious world of being a teenager, he learned about all these drinking games and he wanted to teach me and Sam but he didn't want to get us drunk so usually we played with juice as a substitute." __She explained just as she located the perfect plastic ball to use for their game. __ "And let me tell you right now, I have excellent aim for beer pong." __She piped in with a smirk before she walked back to the table with the ball in her hand. _

_Devon laughed as he grabbed an empty pitcher. __"I don't doubt it…but are we seriously playing with a juice substitute?" __He questioned just as he started to fill the pitcher up with tap water. _

_Casey shook her head before heading to the fridge. __"No, I was thinking more along the lines of soda…but with a twist." __She called back to him as she grabbed two of the 2L bottles of soda. _

"_What type of twist?" __He asked as he filled the cups in the triangle formation halfway up with the tap water. _

_Casey quickly approached the table with the 2L bottles in her hands. __"When a player usually has to drink, instead of drinking alcohol, we'll drink the soda as well as answer a question about ourselves." __She explained cheerfully._

_Devon's brow furrowed at the thought of what more they could possibly learn about each other. __"Like what?" __He asked as he placed the empty pitcher off to the side of the table. _

_Casey bit her lip as she thought of the best examples for Devon. __"Like if you sink a ball in, I would have to drink a cup of soda and answer a question of your choice. You could ask me 'what was the first hunt you ever went on' or 'what was the scariest hunt you've been on'…questions like that and I can ask whatever I want towards you." __She suggested nonchalantly but she was very pleased when Devon wasn't very successful in containing his excitement. _

"_You would seriously tell me all about that? In detail?" __He questioned her in awe because in the past, whenever he brought up her life as a hunter, she was always vague about the stories or she claimed he wasn't ready to hear about them. He never pushed but he was always curious about the life she lived before she came to Toronto. He knew just the basics from his Uncle Bobby but he never knew the details of what it was like to **be** a hunter. _

_Casey gave her boyfriend a sweet smile. __"If you wanna know, sure."_

_Devon didn't know what to say in response to that so he just pulled her into his arms and gave her chaste kiss on the lips (they were still getting use to the change in their relationship). When they broke apart, they each had matching smiles on their faces before Devon broke the silence. __"Then let's get started." _

**[END FLASHBACK]**

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"You were amazing! You haven't lost your touch." Devon whispered to his best friend.

Casey smiled as she leaned back into Devon's arms. "Aww, so you do remember." She teased as she turned her head slightly so that their eyes met.

Devon chuckled. "You kidding me? I learned a lot about you that day." Devon declared with a wiggle of his eyebrow which caused Casey to giggle even though they both knew that what they did learn that day was _not_ exactly what everyone would have thought with the way they were acting now.

She turned in Devon's arms as she easily snaked her arms around his neck while giving him a seductive smirk. "The same could be said about you." She mock whispered as she closed the gap between them and gave him a passionate kiss, the first that Emily had witnessed of the night.

The brothers rolled their eyes while the rest of the Toronto gang groaned (the three roommates still couldn't believe that the flame between their two friends still shone as brightly as it had three years ago). "Ugh, could you two get a room?" Tyler instantly suggested when he noticed that the kiss was getting more heated between his friends.

"I rather they don't." Dean interjected before taking the last swig of his beer.

Everyone turned to the oldest Winchester with confused expressions on their faces, except for his brother and the couple in question as they slowed their kissing down.

"You rather watch them grope each other then?" Alex questioned with an incredulous look directed to the older man. Alex wasn't bothered when it came to his ex-fling but a guy has to draw a line somewhere with the amount of public displays of affection they witness…right?

"If it limits what they can do than yeah." Dean smugly stated with a cocked eyebrow and it only took a few seconds for the words to sink in before he got the reaction he was waiting for.

"DEAN!" Casey shouted as she could feel a blush forming on her cheeks as she was both pissed and embarrassed by her brother's words.

Sam laughed at his sister's reaction while Dean just smirked at her before his amused expression turned into a serious one. "You know we are going to have a serious long talk when we get home right?" He told her in a tone that she knew not to argue with.

She could feel the suppressed laughter rumble through Devon's chest which caused the hunter to groan as she rolled her eyes. "Yes _Dad_." She sarcastically answered her brother while she ignored the rest of the group's stunned expressions as they watched the scene before them.

Dean growled as he didn't like it when she called him that as he was nobody's _father_. "Why you little-"

Sam Winchester instantly stepped between his siblings as he knew if he didn't stop them now then they would get into a fight they've had many times in the past. "Alright guys! Cool it okay, we're here to have fun." He pointed out as he looked between his siblings but they both had scowls on their faces. Sam sighed as he looked to his brother. "Dean you can lecture her tomorrow while she recovers from the hangover she will definitely have."

"Oh you bet your ass I will." Dean stated in a promising tone as he crossed his arms across his chest.

The youngest Winchester pouted, "Sam! You're supposed to be on _my_ side." Casey couldn't help but whine since Sam took her side a majority of the time.

Sam turned to face his sister, who was still in Devon's arms, as he gave her an incredulous look. "I just bought you another day…do you seriously want a parental lecture from Dean _right now_?"

Casey was about to argue but Dean held up his hand, stopping her instinctual protest. The act alone caused more stunned expressions to show up on the group's faces as it was well known between them that it took a lot more than a gesture to stop the brunette from talking her head off, especially when it came to arguments.

"Think about it kiddo, do you really want a lecture from _me_…after not having them for four years. I mean I do have _a lot_ of catching up to do." Dean stated with a growing smirk as he saw the realization pass through his sister's eyes.

Casey gulped as she watched Dean take a few steps backwards so that he could discard his empty beer bottle. "Never mind."

Dean snickered as he returned to his original spot in the group. "That's what I thought." He may not have gotten what he wanted at the moment but he could make that up later by giving her an earful at the motel in the morning like Sam suggested because he knew from personal experience that a lecture and a massive hangover don't mix well and that was always punishment in itself.

Everyone outside of the Winchester family looked between the three as if they were waiting for them to continue. When they didn't, Carter broke the silence among the group. "Why do you have to give her the parental lectures? You're not her dad or anything." He directed at Dean as he titled his head to the side out of curiosity.

Casey sighed as she answered for her brother. "When my dad's not around and when Dean is, he tends to take over the position."

"Not always Baby Girl and I'm more lenient than him when it comes to things." Dean nonchalantly added but everyone got the implied message that he was a lot more fun than Casey's father, which was also emphasized by Dean giving Casey back her unopened beer.

"And you're more strict when it comes to others." Casey stated with a pointed look as she stepped out of Devon's arms and faced her brother as she retrieved her bottle back.

Sam scoffed. "Can't argue with her there man." He stated in amusement towards his brother, who just gave him a death glare for siding with her.

"Shut up Sam."

Casey's expression softened as she walked towards Dean. "Strict or not, you know I still love you Dean." She ended off by giving Dean a hug as she slipped her arms under his leather jacket as she wrapped them around his torso before squeezing him as tightly as she could.

The hunter stiffened as he hated it when she pulled moments like these out in public but after a few moments, he gave in and hugged her back. "Yeah, I love you too kiddo." He told her before leaving a quick kiss on her forehead.

Emily stared at the two in awe at the complete switch in dynamic between Casey and Dean while the rest of the guys had different expressions on their faces as some held confused expressions as others had amused smiles but there was one that hid the scowl on his face while his fists tightened at his sides for reasons he didn't understand. _Is it possible that Dean is the one she's been saying _I love you _on the phone this whole time…like on prom night?_

Tyler shuffled a bit towards the tallest Winchester, who was watching his siblings with a pleased smile on his face. "Do they always flip the switch like that?" He slightly whispered but the rest of the guys in the group heard it.

Sam chuckled before he turned to the university student. "Yup, ever since we were kids but it never gets old between them." The guys just nodded at that as they watched Dean pull out of the hug.

"Alright, chick-flick moment over." Dean declared causing Casey to give her brother a playful smack in the shoulder while her other hand tightened its grip on the beer bottle. "Now if you'd all excuse me, I see a pool game that's about to finish up." Dean gave everyone a mock salute before he headed towards the pool table, but he didn't get too far since Casey had grabbed his hand and started pulling him back towards her but since he was stronger, she ended up stumbling a bit towards him as they now stood, a few steps away from the threshold that separated the _games room_ with the room that held the makeshift dance floor. He gave her a confused look but when her expression didn't give away _why_ she'd attempted to pull him back, he sighed. "What now Case?"

Casey squeezed her brother's hand before she gave him the puppy-dog eyes. "Promise me you won't cause any trouble tonight Dean."

Dean arched his eyebrow as he looked at her with an amused smirk. "Shouldn't I be telling _you_ that Casey?"

She sighed as she squeezed his hand a bit harder. "Dean."

Dean chuckled as he returned her squeeze. "Relax and lighten up Baby Girl. You only graduate once so I'm not going to intentionally screw your celebration up for you." He sincerely told his sister before he released her hand causing her arm to fall to her side. The hunter then placed his own hands on top of her shoulders as he lowered himself a bit so that he could look straight into her hazel-green eyes (that were practically identical to his own). "Go dance, mingle, hell…do what teenagers do at these things but _be smart_ about it. Sound good?"

Casey smiled at her oldest brother as she nodded her head. "Yeah."

Dean smirked before he moved a bit closer to her so that his mouth was just at the shell of her ear. "If you need me, just call or come and find me, alright?" He whispered into her ear so that he was certain that she heard him as he could hear the music getting louder as the next song started up as they were now standing near the door to the room where the deejay was set up. She nodded her head in agreement which was enough for the hunter so he immediately pulled back and returned to his original height before he turned to face his brother. "Alright, Sam you coming?" Dean questioned his brother as he nodded towards the pool table.

"Sure." Sam agreed with a sigh as he figured that sticking with Dean would be the better option tonight since they were both stuck at the graduation party until Casey was ready to leave.

The oldest Winchester smirked before he turned his attention to Casey's friends. "In that case, boys…I want at least one of you watching out for _her_ tonight." He gave each of them a pointed look as he gestured towards Casey, who had Devon by her side once again.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Dean, that's not necessary. I know everyone here."

"Doesn't matter…if this room was filled with family, I'd still want someone to watch your back." Dean replied back with the same tone that indicated that he wasn't going to change his mind about it because he knew from experience that shit happens, whether you're with people you know or not and he'd rather be safe than sorry. He wouldn't even object to watching her like a hawk but he knew that if he did, she might not fully enjoy her last party with her friends.

"I'll watch her Dean, don't worry." Devon offered as he gave the oldest Winchester a reassuring look that practically screamed that he wasn't going to let the brunette out of his sights.

Dean gave Devon an appreciative head nod. "Thanks, you kids have fun…" He told the rest of the group before turning on his heel but he stopped in his tracks when the song finally registered through his mind. He quickly turned his head to address his sister, "and if I'm not mistaken Casey, I believe this is one of those songs that you _love_ so much, so go dance." He suggested to her before he gave them an over-the-shoulder wave as he headed towards the pool table.

Sam rolled his eyes before he walked towards his sister as he placed a goodbye kiss to her temple. She smiled when she heard his warning, telling her to be good, before he walked off to catch up with Dean.

The brunette watched her retreating brothers go before she let herself take in her surroundings and it was that moment that she realized that the new song _**["We Own The Night"**__**]**_was perfect for her to dance to. She had a huge smile on her face when she turned to face Devon. "You know Dev, I'm up for another round of dancing." She told him as she tried to contain her excitement. Devon couldn't help but laugh when he saw her excitement and she didn't hesitate to grab his hand and pull him towards the dance floor, but not before leaving her unopened bottle of beer on a nearby shelf. "See you all in a bit!" She shouted back to the rest of her friends before her body was completely lost in the music.

Emily stared at the spot where her best friend disappeared into the dancing crowd before she turned to Derek. "I know I may be a little drunk but there is no way I imagined all that!" She started panting a bit as she pointed to the empty spot.

Alex shook his head out of amusement. "I swear you guys act as if it's the first time you're meeting Casey tonight." He stated before he grabbed the unopened bottle Casey had left behind and he didn't hesitate to open it and take a long swig from it.

Emily's brow furrowed as she watched the blonde player drink his beer. "So who are you guys?"

Sam Richards smacked his forehead for his rude behavior. "Sorry, guys this is Emily." He directed to the three roommates before he turned to Emily. "Emily, these are some of our hockey friends from Toronto; Alex, Carter and Tyler." He introduced and he was grateful when each of the roommates had made some sort of gesture when they were acknowledged.

"And the guy who went to dance with Casey is Devon." Derek added in as he gritted his teeth.

Emily gave the roommates a polite yet shy smile as she fought the urge to ask what the story was with Casey and Devon since she noticed instantly that they didn't _just_ meet. "Nice to meet you guys."

"Likewise." Carter gave her a heartwarming smile, hoping that it would make Emily more comfortable around them, since he'd hate it if they were the cause of her discomfort at her own grad celebration.

It was quiet among the group for a few moments as everyone seemed to have their attention focused on scoping out their current party surroundings.

Emily blew out a breath as she couldn't resist the temptation anymore. "I'm sorry but I just have to ask but…did anyone know what was going on between Casey and…" She trailed off as she gestured towards the pool table where Sam and Dean were currently participating in a game.

Derek gave his neighbor/friend an amused expression as she seemed to have forgotten the brothers' names. "The Winchesters?"

Emily nodded; her cheeks flushed a bit as she remembered how she embarrassed herself when she first met them at the beginning of the night. "Yeah…them."

Tyler shrugged. "Your guess is as good as ours."

Emily's nose scrunched up as she fought against her little drunken haze. "Meaning?"

"It's been off and on between the three of them all night." Derek elaborated since he was the only one exposed to the trio's dynamic the most that night and yet he still couldn't figure them out.

"I like them." Ralph piped in after being quiet for some time but his attention seemed to be elsewhere as he was scoping the party until he found his girlfriend, Amanda. A huge grin broke out on his face when he saw her wave at him causing him to subconsciously head towards her.

Sam Richards noticed Ralph's sudden movement to leave and he quickly grabbed his friend's elbow as he gave him a confused look. "Where you going man?"

Ralph looked between Amanda, Sam and the rest of the guys before he nodded his head towards his girlfriend. "I just spotted Amanda. I'll see you guys later!" He explained before he headed over to his girlfriend, once Sam had released his grip (he did that the moment Ralph mentioned his girlfriend's name).

The roommates looked confusedly towards each other before directing their confusion to the two graduates that stood before them as they waited for an elaboration.

"His girlfriend." Derek and Sam answered simultaneously and before they could get weirded out by the action, Alex interrupted them with a chuckle.

"Ralph has a girlfriend?"

Derek smirked. "I know, it surprised me too."

"Derek." Sam and Emily said his name in a reprimanding tone and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"What?" Derek questioned before he got two familiar glares from his friends. "Don't look at me like that when you thought so too!" He defended himself before he shuffled on his feet a bit, as if he were ready to run. "Anyways, I'm gonna make the usual rounds. See you all in a bit." Derek stated before he leaves the group as his first stop was the kitchen for a beer before he headed around the main floor to say hello to everyone…before ending his tour in the makeshift dance room.

No one found Derek's departure suspicious but his actions started the splitting of the groups as Sam went to the kitchen to grab some drinks while Alex and Tyler headed back towards the _games room_ as they try to get in on some team game together, leaving Emily alone with Carter at the threshold between the _game room _and the makeshift dance room (aka _dance_ _room_).

At first, Emily was a little nervous about embarrassing herself in front of Carter due to her drunken state but the more they talked, the more she felt comfortable with him. She learned that Carter, as well as the other guys, were going to start their second year at the University of Toronto in September as well as continuing their spots on the school's hockey team. She was quite impressed with some of the stories Carter was sharing with her and at first, she was a little disappointed to learn that Carter had a girlfriend, Mia, but that disappointment quickly faded when she learned more about Mia, who sounded like an amazing girl, and Carter even suggested to introducing the two so that she could have a female friend on campus (Emily was very pleased that Carter already considered her as a friend).

"Hey where'd Alex and Tyler go?" Sam asked as he returned with a few sodas, handing one each to Carter and Emily.

"Beer pong." Emily and Carter answered causing Sam to turn around to check out the beer pong table, where Casey was playing earlier, to see Alex and Tyler teaming up against two former members of the football team.

Sam nodded his head before he turned his attention back to Carter and Emily. "So what did I miss?" It didn't take long for Sam to be filled in before they had moved on to random conversations and a few that revolved around a certain keener.

* * *

Casey was having the time of her life on the dance floor with Devon. After leaving the group, Casey had bumped into a few of her classmates that she actually talked to so she couldn't help but say hello and go through the usually pleasantries before returning her attention back to dancing. Devon didn't mind the distraction as he stayed by her side with his arm wrapped around her waist.

The best friends didn't get to seriously start dancing until after the next song _**["Low"]**_ started up which was one of Casey's favorite to dance to as she always likes it when every follows the lyrics when they dance. It was during one of the moments through the chorus where everyone was lowering themselves down towards the floor did Devon notice that Derek was watching them.

Devon saw that Derek was talking to a group of his friends, with a beer in his hand, but he was positioned in a way that if he wanted to, he could check on Casey and Devon with a slight shift of his head and yet no one would be the wiser…except for Devon. This caused Devon's interest to peek even more as it was another sign for him that there was something _more_ between his two friends.

Casey was too involved in the music to notice that Devon's mind was whirling with his new discovery as his body automatically moved to match her movements. The synchrony didn't surprise Casey or Devon since they had gone to clubs together all the time with the group in the past, especially after they had started dating they'd always go to the all-ages nights hosted at the hottest clubs in Toronto.

So Devon kept his eye on Derek and it wasn't until four songs later did he mention something to his best friend as the song had slowed down enough for him to do so _**["Right Now"**__**]**_. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as they swayed from side to side, faster than they would for a usual slow song, and his arms encircled around her waist as he pulled her tightly into his body.

He lowered his head so that his mouth was at the shell of her ear before he whispered to her. "You know if I didn't know any better, I would never have guessed that you just won a game of beer pong." He teased (since Casey didn't show any signs that she had consumed any alcohol recently) and he felt her giggle in his arms before she took a step closer to him.

She started to place small kisses up his neck before she reached his ear. "One of the perks of being who I am; I can hold my liquor down and hide things really easily from people." She teased right back in a very seductive voice that would drive any guy crazy.

Devon smirked. "Not from me you can't."

She pulled back and gave him a blinding smile. "That is true…you were always an exception to that. Now why's that?" She playfully questioned as she moved her hips to the music.

She could feel his deep-throated laugh as it rumbled throughout his chest. "I'm just lucky like that."

Casey arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend for the night. "Is that so?" He shrugged his shoulders as he remained tight-lipped which only caused the hunter to shake her head out of amusement before she twirled in Devon's arms so that her back was against his chest as his hands now laid on her toned stomach. She was feeling a little heated since she was still wearing her leather jacket but she couldn't part with it, not when it had practically everything she needed in it.

"Am I the only exception?" Devon whispered into her ear a few moments later.

"Outside family; yes." She didn't hesitate with her answer as he seemed to be the only one outside her immediate family that could see through her. _Don't forget Derek_. The thought popped into her head unexpectedly but she couldn't deny it.

He didn't want to have to ask this, but he had to know, not just for himself but for _both_ his friends too. "What about Derek?" He whispered and he could feel her body tense in his arms even though she was still dancing as fluidly as she was before he mentioned Derek.

Casey mentally cursed to herself…wondering how Devon did it sometimes, always bringing up topics just as she was thinking them up even though they weren't talking about it. "Must we talk about him?" She innocently asked once she twirled back around in his arms so that they were facing each other once again.

Devon mulled the thought over a bit as he let their foreheads touch. "Well no but surely you're aware that he's been watching you from time to time since we started dancing." He pointed out in an amused tone as he watched for her reaction, not aware that Casey was _very _attuned to Derek's whereabouts since she'd felt his eyes on her the whole time. The sensation it gave her made her feel both empowered due to the unknown effect she had on him and yet she felt guilty for the deception…but she couldn't tell Devon yet, she _wanted_ to but she just couldn't.

"And here I thought the stares I felt on me came from everyone else as they wondered why I was so _comfortable_ in your arms." She teased as she tightened her grip around Devon's neck.

Devon smirked, knowing now that she was avoiding the subject that was Derek. "Nah, they're just jealous that I'm the one dancing with the most beautiful girl in the world." He professed before he leaded down to claim her lips with his own, initiating another lustful kiss between them.

Unfortunately for the reunited couple, the kiss didn't last long as they both heard someone calling Casey's name over the music. They broke their kiss apart when Casey felt a tugging on her shoulder. She was a bit annoyed but when she saw her the perpetrator was, she was stunned to see Tyler standing there as he gave them an apologetic smile.

"Tyler, were you just calling me?" She questioned as she fully twirled in Devon's arms so that her back was once again against his chest as his hands rested on her stomach.

Tyler nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Devon groaned as he placed his chin on Casey's leather clad shoulder. "Ty, what do you need?"

"I need Casey." He automatically stated before grabbing her wrists and dragging her towards the _games room_ without even thinking.

Devon and Casey's eyes widened. "Whoa, what?" They questioned simultaneously as she yanked her wrist out of Tyler's grip just as they had reached the threshold that separated the two rooms.

Tyler stopped in his tracks, eyes wide as he realized what his statement could be mistaken for. He quickly turned around as he waved his hands up defensively. "I didn't mean it like that!" He protested but he gulped when he saw Casey place her hands on her hips as she gave him an arched eyebrow look and he instantly knew that _that_ might of sounded a bit too offensive for a girl to hear. "Not that I wouldn't want you like that, it's just…" Tyler flustered with his words because although he lusted after the legendary brunette, he knew not to get on her bad side. He deeply exhaled as it became clear to him that he wasn't saying the right things. "Maybe that came out wrong. Can I start over?"

"Please do." Her voice was clipped and Tyler knew that he had to tread lightly…especially since he had interrupted another moment between his two friends.

Tyler took in a deep breathe before he spoke. "I need Casey's _help_."

"You couldn't start off with that?" Devon quipped as an amused expression formed on his face for his friend's distress…it was still amusing how easily Casey could get people to react in ways that would benefit her the most (like intimidation or seduction to name a few).

Tyler shrugged. "You said 'need' so I automatically used that word." He explained but all he got was doubtful looks from the couple. "Oh don't look at me like that! I just finished a round of beer pong so give me a break."

Casey sighed. "Fine, how'd the game go?"

"It's kind of why I need your help, it ended in a draw." Tyler explained as he shifted on his foot as he tried to locate Alex. _He should be the one telling her this, not me!_

"And you need me because?" Casey tried to coax the rest of it out of Tyler but he seemed a bit distracted.

"You're the tie breaker." He added on before he turned around to see if he could see the beer pong table from where he was…no such luck.

Casey's brow furrowed out of confusion and when she looked to Devon, he just gave her a shrug. "Why?" She asked as the music faded in her mind as she focused solely on Tyler and the explanation-to-come.

Tyler sighed before he turned back to Casey. "I don't know but somehow _you_ got into the conversation near the end and Alex was arguing the fact that you can sing and the guys we were playing against, I think Cody and Brian were their names but anyways they were saying that you couldn't so Alex kind of…set you up as the tie breaker." He rambled on as much as he could before he needed to breathe again and when it was finally out of him, he took a much needed deep breath as he anxiously awaited for her reaction.

Casey had a scowl on her face before Tyler was even finished explaining. _I should have known it was because of him. _"Where is he?" She asked through her gritted teeth but before Tyler could tell her that he didn't know, Alex appeared just behind Tyler and it didn't look like Alex was alone.

"Right here." Alex greeted them with a smirk but once he saw Casey's scowl directed at him, his expression faltered as she quickly sauntered up to him as the hunter got in his personal space. Usually he would encourage the lack of distance between them but not when she was pissed off (and especially not when she's pissed off at him).

"How could you?" Casey questioned as she gave her former fling an incredulous look.

Alex was tempted to smooth talk his way out of it and play innocent but he took one quick look behind her, to Devon, and saw that wouldn't be a wise option. Alex groaned instead. "It just slipped out okay! I made it a tie breaker before I even realized what I was saying!" He defended himself just as his opposing team was approaching their group, since they didn't want to get weaseled out of the tie breaker (especially not with what they were playing for at stakes).

Out of the corner of her eye, Casey could see Cody Collins and Brian Winters slowly approaching them and she instantly wanted to curse at the fact that it was _those two_ that Tyler and Alex were playing against. Casey knew Cody and Brian through Max as they were part of the football team but they always gave her a hard time, even when she was dating Max. They didn't like that a _keener_ was hoarding in on their players so they would always make it uncomfortable for her whenever she hung out with Max and his friends. At times, the hunter just wanted to punch their faces in but she couldn't so she had to react the way her façade was supposed to and it became very irritating for her. They stopped a bit after she became a cheerleader and then they completely ignored her after her break up with Max.

Casey tugged on Alex's arm a bit as she pulled him off to the side and away from opposing ears. "Haven't you realized that I don't act the same here like I did back in Toronto?" Casey stated with a pointed glare as her hands landed on her hips.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Could've fooled me."

Casey groaned as her grip on her hips tightened. "Well there's gotta be more to the tie breaker because everyone here knows that I _can_ sing thanks to _Clash of the Bands_." She concluded through her gritted teeth.

"Oh did you win?"

Casey glared daggers at Alex for trying to change the subject so easily. "No and that's not the point! Now what exactly do I have to sing?"

He sighed before he moved closer to her so that he could bend down a bit and whisper into her ear. Her eyes widened when she heard the type of song that she would have to sing, not at all surprised since it is Alex but she still couldn't believe her ears.

She quickly took a step back and smacked him hard in the shoulder. "AL-EX!"

Alex cringed as he gently rubbed his shoulder. _Damn, she still packs a mean punch._ "What? I know that you can, I mean you did a few times while you were sober and you've already had a few drinks in you so why not?" He pointed out as he gave her a quizzical look while ignoring the few curious eyes that turned their attention onto them since she yelled his name a few seconds ago.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, out of frustration, as she closed her eyes. "First off, I sang those when it was _just_ the gang but you want me to sing like that in front of my _whole_ graduating class. No way!" She protested with a hiss before she opened her eyes as she gave him a stare down.

Alex groaned before he swiftly grabbed her forearm as he brought her closer to his body. She didn't fight him as she knew that he wouldn't hurt her but she still didn't like being manhandled. "C'mon Case, help a guy out here and besides, what are the chances you'll see any of these people again?" He quickly pointed out as his grip around her forearm loosened but she never stepped away as their close proximity didn't bother her.

"Alex I-"

He quickly stopped her as he recognized that specific tone of hers. "Are you really going to let all these people stop you from doing this? I thought you said you didn't care of what people thought of you." He waved toward the crowd when he mentioned them before he had his eyes land on her as he watched for her reaction and he was pleased to see the determined look set on her face as she watched her fellow graduates dance and mingle as if there were no tomorrow.

"I don't." She sneered as she was both frustrated and impressed that he'd remembered her saying that at the beginning of their fling during her frenzy.

Alex smirked when he slowly lifted her chin up so that his green eyes could look into her hazel-green eyes. "Then prove it Case. Prove to them that you aren't just some grade-grubbing keener." He softly told her, using his charm to his advantage and she knew this too, but her eyes widened when he called her the despised nicknames that she'd acquired while she was at SJST High.

She gave a nervous gulp. "How'd you-"

He gave her a sad smile as he still couldn't believe that she had to hear those awful nicknames while she was here. They might have had a falling out but he knew that she didn't deserve those names. "It wasn't hard to pick up since this group gossips a lot." Alex explained with a disgusted tone that was directed towards the graduates around them.

She sighed as she nodded her head in understanding before she met his eyes again. "Fine…but this is the only time Alex, you understand me?"

He smiled. "Completely." He whispered to her as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She smiled to herself when she felt his lips on her skin…she simply missed those rare moments she had with Alex and they were very few after they had broken up as they couldn't even have a civil moment between just the two of them for a minute. When she felt him pull away, she stepped out of what she deemed _his bubble_ as she made her way back towards Devon and Tyler.

Confused by her sudden move to leave, Alex followed after her. "Hey where are you going?"

She had just reached Devon and Tyler when she turned slightly so that she could shout an answer to him over her shoulder. "I need to find Dean." She stated before disappearing back into the _games room_.

"Wait, why?" Alex shouted back but it was no use, she had already disappeared from his line of sight.

Devon walked up to Alex and gave him a pat on the back. "Just go with it…everything happens a lot faster that way." He commented before he walked off in the same direction Casey had gone. Alex sighed before he turned to Tyler to motion for him to follow after him as he too followed his two friends.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

After agreeing to do the tie breaker for Alex, Casey immediately knew that she needed to find Dean. If she was going to perform any song tonight, she would rather sing one that was from her Ipod and Dean currently had it on him…well he was supposed. She wasn't sure if he left it in the Impala but she did remember that he took it with him when they left the house earlier.

The youngest Winchester made her way through the _games room_ after leaving the guys behind, knowing that they would eventually follow her as their curiosity would get the better of them. After a few small shoves to get through the masses, Casey finally saw the pool table in her sights and she smirked when she saw Dean owning that table but her smirk faltered just a bit when she noticed that her other brother wasn't around. _Where's Sam?_

When she got closer to the game, it was then that she realized that Dean wasn't _playing_ an actual game as he was actually _teaching_ a few trick shots to a few of Derek's teammates. _Either he got bored at winning all the time or they figured out that Dean was a hustler. _She couldn't help but snicker at the thought as either option both amused her.

"Hey Dean!" She greeted her brother as he was leaning against the wall; his attention was moved off the game and onto his approaching sister.

He smirked her way just as she stopped to stand beside him. "Hey Baby Girl, what's up? Got tired from dancing already?" He teased as he watched one of his _pupils_ perform the trick shot he was demonstrating moments ago. He didn't want to admit it but the hockey team at this school was a group of fun guys as they occupied the pool table and after a few friendly games, in exchange for some game tips, the team offered up a few stories about the infamous _stepsiblings_ that Dean just couldn't give up hearing about.

She shook her head as she watched the game. "Nope, I just came to look for you."

Dean turned to look at his sister, his eyebrow quirked out of curiosity. "Oh, what for? You aren't in trouble are you?" His tone turned serious at the last moment and Casey instantly shook her head to get the idea out of his head.

"No, uh, do you still have my Ipod?" She asked, suddenly nervous, as she scratched the back of her neck.

He noticed her nervous act which just peaked his curiosity even more. "Uh, yeah." He handed her his pool cue before he searched through his leather jacket's inside pockets for the device. "What do you need it for? The sound systems is just gonna drown your Ipod's music out…I've already tried." He asked, mumbling the last part, as he made a trade with her; her Ipod for his pool cue.

Casey smirked, having heard the last part, as she turned her music device on. "I got a score I need to settle." She cryptically stated as she started to scroll down her playlists for what she needed.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Do I even wanna know?"

Casey shrugged as her attention was still on the tiny screen of her device. "You'll find out in a moment but _don't _blame me for it. I got roped into it." She said the last point as she gave him a pointed look which caused the older hunter to let a deep-throated chuckle loose.

"Alright, as long as it isn't something stupid."

Casey smirked. "Gotcha." She was about to turn her attention back to her Ipod but she noticed Alex and the rest of the guys approaching her. "Alright do you pick or can I?" Casey asked Alex when she figured he was close enough for him to hear her.

Alex shrugged his shoulders but he gave Dean a greeting nod, which he returned, before he turned his attention back to the brunette. "Give me a list and I'll pick from it."

Casey nodded her head as she scrolled to the last playlist she needed before she handed Alex the device. "So in order for you guys to win, what do I have to do exactly? Do I just sing?" She questioned as Alex started scrolling through the playlist for a suitable song for the tie breaker.

"You have to sell it as if you're the artist. Make it convincing…you know, put on a show." Alex explained, never taking his attention away from the device in his hands. He kind of wished he was able to hear the songs, a sneak preview if you will, but Casey had kept the headphones to herself so he was out of luck in that option.

The youngest Winchester shook her head in mock disappointment. "You're really gonna regret saying that to me." She firmly stated as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Tyler had been quiet since they caught up to Casey but as he looked between his two friends, he figured he should say something to really seal the deal for her. "Would you getting a third of our winnings make up for it?"

Alex's head snapped up as he heard those words and he instantly glared at his friend. "Tyler!"

Tyler wasn't fazed by his roommate's reaction so he just stood his ground. "What? I think it's only fair." He declared before he turned to the quizzical brunette. "So what do you say?"

Casey smirked. "What's at stake then?"

"Three hundred dollars. You in?" Tyler stated with no hesitation and by the look in her eyes, he knew he had her.

Casey's smirk widened when she heard the dollar amount. _If I'm getting paid, hell yes I'll do it! _"Oh hell yeah! You should have told me that right off the bat." She quipped before she turned to look at Alex. "You pick a song?"

He had picked one but he wasn't familiar with the title and he didn't know who the artist was, _CW _was all that was listed under the heading, but he figured if it were in the playlist it must meet the standards of the tie breaker…right? "How's this one? I've never heard of it." He replied as he showed her the Ipod screen with the song that he was interested in being highlighted.

Casey smiled at his selection as she was _very_ familiar with that song. "It's perfect." She stated before she turned back to Dean, only to find that he was currently teaching the group how to perform another type of trick shot. She huffed, seeing as how Dean was a little occupied at the moment but her disappointment faded when she saw Sam approaching the table again with two drinks in his hands. "Hey Sam!" She called out to her brother just as he was passing off one of the drinks to Dean before he headed towards her.

"Hey Case." He greeted her as he gave her a side hug before giving the rest of the guys a nod as their greeting.

"Having fun?" The brunette questioned as she took her leather jacket off, revealing her outfit for the first time that night since the family dinner.

"Just another day at the office…making sure Dean doesn't get _us_ in trouble." He quipped with a smirk before he took a swig of his drink, soda the younger hunter quickly realized, causing her to laugh at the joke.

"Well I hate to ask but can you hold onto my jacket while I take care of something?" She questioned while pulling out the puppy-dog eyes so that it would be that much harder for him to resist.

Sam sighed…he taught her _that_ look very well. "Sure." He held his hand out so that she could pass him her jacket, keeping in mind all the important things she kept in its pockets.

"Thanks!" She exclaimed with a smile as she gave him a huge hug before pulling away and heading towards the _dance room _to have a word with the deejay.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

As she explains to the deejay about her tie breaker predicament, Alex and the rest of the guys moved into the _dance_ _room_, leaving the Winchester brothers in the _games room_.

"What was that about?" Dean questioned his brother after watching his sister walk away.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "No clue."

"Well I have a feeling that something major's about to happen Sammy." Dean stated as he gave his brother a pat on the back before he turned to address the boys at the pool table. "Boys, I call a time out…I have a feeling something big is about to happen." He declared before he placed his cue stick on the table and it threw the hunter off when the rest of the guys followed his lead. He shrugged the slight surprise off as he headed towards the _dance room_, with Sam and his _pupils_ following close behind him (as they too were curious about what could happen next at Jason's party).

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Casey had just finished explaining and convincing Deejay Rick to help her out when the boys just crossed the threshold to the _dance room_ and Deejay Rick was eager to add a new twist into the night's line up. She handed her Ipod over to him before he hooked it up to his complex-looking sound system. Deejay Rick got Casey set up with an earpiece (to hear the music more clearly through it) and a cordless microphone while they waited for the current song to finish up but at this point, all the dancers and current bystanders in the room were more interested in why their valedictorian was talking to the deejay than in what they were currently doing moments ago.

When the song started to fade out, instead of the next song starting, some static was heard before Deejay Rick's voice was heard over the sound system as he now had a microphone in his hands while Casey discreetly made her way to the makeshift stage that was just off to the side of the deejay's booth.

"Yo graduates! How's everybody doing tonight?" The deejay yelled out to the crowd and he was awarded with a bunch of hollers and shouts as they clapped their hands. Deejay Rick smirked as he motioned for everyone to settle down so that he could continue. "Alright, well it looks like we have a score to settle here folks and this young lady here is gonna do it. So let's give it up for Casey everyone!" Deejay Rick introduced Casey, bringing everyone's attention onto their valedictorian. The hunter was pleased when she heard a few gasps and saw a few wide-eyed expressions that she knew was mostly due to her outfit of choice that evening since _Casey McDonald_ wouldn't wear something like she was. _But guess what folks…you're partying with **Casey Winchester** tonight! _

Casey smirked to the crowd as she raised the microphone to her mouth. "Thanks Rick." She directed at him before turning her attention towards the crowd. "So thanks to two friends of mine…I got roped into performing a tie breaker for their game." It didn't take her long to find Alex and Tyler as well as Cody and Brian as they were standing right by her friends and she held their stares to make a point before she turned to scan over the crowd again as she spoke. "So here I am to sing a song and if you all like it…well, there will be two people who better think twice before placing bets against me." The last part was aimed at Cody and Brian but she knew that everyone would be thinking that she was referring to the friends that got her into this…mess. "If the song isn't familiar to any of you…then good." She smirked at the end before she signaled for Deejay Rick to start the song.

As the upbeat tempo started playing through the speakers, she tapped her foot to the beat as she saw a few of the graduates getting into the music.

She took a deep breath as she got ready for her cue to start with the last thought fleeting through her mind; here goes nothing.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**Music Disclaimer: **I don't own the songs used in this chapter. It was just used for solely entertainment purposes only. (I hope that covered it).

_"We Own The Night" _belongs to Jesse and the Toy Boys and their record label.

_"Low" _belongs to Flo Rida and his record label.

_"Right Now" _belongs to Akon and his record label.

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**A/N #3: **So how was that? **A lot** happened in this chapter so what did you think of Casey's beer pong game? The Dasey dynamic? The Cason dynamic? The Winchester dynamic? The Casey/Alex dynamic? So many dynamics were shown in this chapter...wow. So what do you think Casey has in store with her singing performance? How's everyone gonna react? I was too _tempted_ to include Casey singing in this story and I just had to take the opportunity to do it here. =D **Don't forget to leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!** Next chapter will have more _Derek_ in it as this one had more _Casey_!

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**Originally Published: **June 26, 2011


	16. Ch 15: Dealing With The Past

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 15: Dealing With The Past  
**

**A/N #1: **Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay but I had about ¾ of this chapter done when I posted the previous one and when I noticed the date, I just had to post it today (July 19th) in celebration of **Jared Padalecki's birthday** (the fantastic actor that plays **Sam Winchester**)!

**A/N #2: **Also **THANK YOU SO MUCH** for all the hits, reviews and alerts that you've given me for this story. It truly means the world to me as this story progresses and to share it with all of you is truly astounding. =D

**A/N #3: **So here is a little heads up for Alex's song choice for Casey…it's a song that was stuck in my head the moment I heard it and I couldn't get the thought of Casey singing it and 'wowing' everyone out of my head so this was my attempt at it. Hopefully you all would agree with the song option. I also apologize in advanced for any grammatical errors, past-present tense errors or the presence of run-on sentences…I admit those are my weaknesses when it comes to writing so bare with me if there are a lot of them (I try to minimize them). **Anyways ENJOY!**

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **200th Reviewer** and it goes to **Crimson and Chrome 42**.

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**Disclaimers #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

_Party Goers: _Jason Donovan (host), Jordan Baker (challenger; basketball jock), Cody Collins & Brian Winters (team challengers; football jocks)

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Battle of the Bands," "Open Mic Plight," "Surprise" (slight mention), "The Bully Brothers," and "The Room" (motto).

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"After School Special" (flashback)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Open Mic Plight," "Surprise – Part 1 & 2" and "The Bully Brothers"

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

* * *

**LAST TIME:**

Casey smirked to the crowd as she raised the microphone to her mouth. "Thanks Rick." She directed at him before turning her attention towards the crowd. "So thanks to two friends of mine…I got roped into performing a tie breaker for their game." It didn't take her long to find Alex and Tyler as well as Cody and Brian as they were standing right by her friends and she held their stares to make a point before she turned to scan over the crowd again as she spoke. "So here I am to sing a song and if you all like it…well, there will be two people who better think twice before placing bets against me." The last part was aimed at Cody and Brian but she knew that everyone would be thinking that she was referring to the friends that got her into this…mess. "If the song isn't familiar to any of you…then good." She smirked at the end before she signaled for Deejay Rick to start the song.

As the upbeat tempo started playing through the speakers, she tapped her foot to the beat as she saw a few of the graduates getting into the music.

She took a deep breath as she got ready for her cue to start with the last thought fleeting through her mind; here goes nothing.

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

* * *

_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

After leaving Emily and the guys, Derek went straight for the kitchen to grab a beer before he would make his way around the party just to make his presence known among his fellow graduates. It was routine for Derek to make his rounds as he was _king _of the school as he made small greetings and idle chit-chat with those he passed by. He was in a pretty good mood as he made his way through the first floor of Jason's place but his mood faltered when he got to the _dance room_ and his eyes immediately landed on his stepsister, who was dancing very closely with one of his good friends.

No matter how much this Venturi wanted to forget the changes he was witnessing tonight, he couldn't do it for some reason. So as he was mingling with the bystanders in the room or having a few quick dances with a couple of girls, he always returned his gaze back to the dancing couple as he took a few needed swigs here and there. He wasn't really paying attention to whatever group conversation he was a part of as his mind tried to decipher the current puzzle that Casey seemed to worm herself into.

He watched her dance very closely to him, stealing kisses here and there before they would break apart and dance a little wildly but Derek couldn't help but be amazed at how great they _looked_ together as every movement one of them made, the other was perfectly in-sync with them. For some reason that bothered Derek and he really didn't want to analyze _why_, especially not tonight but he knew that he wasn't going to be able to forget about it anytime soon.

At this point, his beer was pretty much empty and he was about to excuse himself to get another but the appearance of Tyler stopped him in his tracks once he realized that Tyler was heading towards Casey and Devon. He was perplexed with all the body language he was witnessing between the trio and then it got even more interesting when Alex showed up and joined the trio.

When he saw Casey pull Alex off to the side to have their own private argument, Derek couldn't help the thoughts that passed through his mind. He found myself wanting to rip those two apart as the scene was very similar to past moments he's shared with Casey at a few parties but he was thrown for a loop when he saw Alex kiss Casey's forehead as well as the small smile that crept over her lips. _I thought they hated each other after their break up? So why the hell are they chummy now? _While they were still in their embrace, Derek took a glance at Devon and what surprised him was that he too had a lopsided smile on his face with no signs of jealousy written on his face. _What the hell?_ Derek immediately thought as he looked between Devon, Casey and Alex.

Before he could walk over there and demand to know what was going on, they took off back towards the _games room_, which only confused him even more.

_I need a beer. _

And with that thought, Derek excused himself to grab another beer from the kitchen and when he returned to the _dance room_, he found a different group to socialize with. It was only a few songs later did he realize, without even looking, that Casey had returned. He didn't know why, but he's always known _where_ she was as if he had a specific radar just for her and he could just tell if she was nearby or not. At first it freaked him out but now he just embraces it as he still hopes that it will go away eventually. When he finally scanned the room to locate her, he was stunned to see her talking to the deejay and it didn't look like he was the only one to notice.

"Yo Derek, what's your sister doing with the deejay?" A guy, who's name escaped him, questioned Derek as the group he was hanging with all had their attention on Casey and the deejay.

"_Stepsister_ and I have no idea." Derek immediately corrected and responded after taking a gulp of his beer as he watched their conversation from afar yet he was truly confused once he saw the deejay hand Casey all sorts of equipment. _What the hell is she doing now? _

He quickly looked around the deejay's booth and he wasn't surprised that Devon, Alex and Tyler were standing a few feet away but when he returned to look at the booth again, Casey was gone.

Before Derek could scan the crowd for Casey, the deejay caught his attention once the song was over. "Yo graduates! How's everybody doing tonight?" The deejay yelled out to the crowd and he was awarded with a bunch of hollers and shouts as they clapped their hands while Derek just took another swig of his second beer. The deejay smirked as he motioned for everyone to settle down so that he could continue. "Alright, well it looks like we have a score to settle here folks and this young lady here is gonna do it. So let's give it up for Casey everyone!" The deejay introduced Casey as he pointed off to the side and when Derek followed the movement, there stood Casey, without her leather jacket, with a microphone in her hand as she waited on the makeshift mini stage. He could hear many gasps and murmurs (he even tried to block out all the '_dude she's hot_' comments all around him because he didn't need constant reminders that his stepsister was hot…sadly he already knew that) as this fellow graduates finally saw Casey's outfit for the first time that night and he couldn't really blame them...that's how he reacted when he saw her walk down the stairs before dinner back at the house.

Derek saw Casey smirk to the crowd as she raised the microphone to her mouth. "Thanks Rick." She directed at the deejay before turning her attention towards the crowd. "So thanks to two friends of mine…I got roped into performing a tie breaker for their game." He could see that her focus was on their friends but her words just peaked his curiosity even more. _What tie breaker? _Derek asked himself as he watch her switch her attention back to the crowd before she spoke. "So here I am to sing a song and if you all like it…well, there will be two people who better think twice before placing bets _against_ me." She gave a side glance back to the guys before she looked towards the middle of the dance floor. "If the song isn't familiar to any of you…then _good_." She smirked at the end before she signaled for _Deejay_ _Rick_ to start the song.

As the upbeat tempo started playing through the speakers, Casey tapped her foot to the beat and Derek noticed that a few people around him were getting into the music too. He could see her taking a deep breath as she moved the microphone to where she wanted and it wasn't long before she started to sing yet it didn't take long for this Venturi to stare at her with wide eyes.

**Lately I've been stuck imaginin'  
What I wanna do and what I really think,  
Time to flow out  
**

Casey sang as she purposefully walked around the stage as she put forth as much of her Winchester attitude as she could as she let the music take her over, remembering when she wrote this song not to long after her sixteen birthday…with Devon as her little inspiration.

**Be a little inappropriate,  
Cause I know that everybody's thinkin' it  
When the lights out  
**

She smirked at the last part as she gave people a look that told them _yeah, that's what I sang_ as she saw a few of them with their mouths gapped but she didn't let that faze her as she moved her hips seductively to the music.

**Shame on me  
To need release  
Uncontrollably  
**

Derek gulped when he saw the way she moved on the stage as he couldn't even compare it to the times that she performed with him at _Clash of the Bands _or during that open mic night performance at Smelly Nellie's. His stepsister looked…professional with the way she sang and the way she moved…and oh boy, the way she moved on that stage could be sinful. _Snap out of it Venturi!_

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind  
Whoa-oa**

She had her eyes closed for the chorus as she let the message invade her soul because it was exactly true…but no one would ever know that. When it was time to repeat the chorus again, she snapped her hazel-green eyes open as she instantly zoned in on Devon, ignoring the fact that her guy friends had awed expressions on their faces or the bemused yet uncomfortable expressions from both her brothers. _I did warn them. _**  
**

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind  
Whoa-oa**

Devon watched as the crowd really got into Casey's song as they started to dance/grind to the words or they kept their attention on her as they moved to the music. His mind wasn't really focused on that but on Casey as her eyes bore into his own and he couldn't help but smirk as he remembered reading the lyrics once when they were hanging out in her room but he never had the chance to hear her sing it. _Now I am. _He mused to himself before the second verse started.

**Lately people got me all tied up  
There's a countdown waiting for me to erupt  
Time to blow out**

Casey was center stage once again as she moved her free hand to the lyrics as best as she could while swaying her hips.

**I've been told who I should do it with  
To keep both my hands above the blanket  
When the lights out**

Derek watched as she slowly moved her free hand up her body to a point just above her head, just like the song was alluding to and he couldn't help but groan. _Is she trying to kill me here? _The thought crossed his mind before it truly registered _what_ he was just thinking.

**Shame on me**  
**To need release (*giggle*)**  
**Uncontrollably**

She giggled into the microphone on cue as she fluidly moved her hands down from above her head, into her loose ringlets before having it trail down her body any further before she started on the chorus once again. The hunter didn't care how she looked at this point, she only had one goal that she focused on and that was to _sell_ the perform, and that's what she was doing. _Might as well shock them all too while I'm at it. _

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind  
Whoa-oa-oa**

_She's had one too many beers to drink tonight. _Derek thought to himself because that was the only logical explanation he had to the way Casey was acting right now. She was definitely not acting like the girl who's been living with him but she was acting like a girl he'd _want_ to date just on appearance alone. Derek's grip tightened around his beer bottle as he took another much needed swig. _Why the hell am I feeling like this? I thought prom would be the last of it! _He angrily thought to himself as he remembered the moment between him and Casey after prom when he was unzipping her dress…revealing her soft skin…_stop it!_**  
**

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind **

She finished off the chorus again in the same manner but this time, she made eye contact with Derek but luckily for her, no one seemed to notice as she would shift her attention to somewhere else before putting it back onto him. From where she stood she was pleased to see that her performance was affecting him…whether he wanted it to or not. _Excellent. _

Casey waited as the music continue with no lyrics attached, which allowed her to freely move her body…getting her more cheers from the crowd, especially from the male graduates. When she recognized her next cue, she raised her microphone to her mouth once again so that she could sing the song's bridge portion (allowing the original recording to show during the echoes).

**Shame on me  
(Shame on me)**

**To need release**  
**(To need release)**

**Uncontrollably**  
**(Uncontrollably)**

Derek watched as her body swayed with every beat as if to accentuate the word or note in the song and there was no doubt that she was letting forth the dancer within her while she performed on that stage. He took a quick look around and he saw that she had a majority of the guys under her _spell_ while all the ladies tried to mimic her moves. Before he returned his gaze back to his stepsister, he finally saw the guys with the Winchesters behind them as they all seemed to be enjoying the performance…well for Sam and Dean he wasn't exactly sure with them.

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind  
**

Casey was doing little jumps in her spot, keeping mind that she had her leather ankle heels on, which got everyone in the audience to follow her actions which only invigorated her even more as she got ready for the final repeat of the song.

**I wanna go,  
All the way  
Takin' out my freak tonight  
I wanna show  
All the dirt  
I got running through my mind  
...Whoa**

She ended off with a smile into the microphone as the song faded out causing the crowd to erupt in cheers, whistles and catcalls. The hunter's smile grew before she took a short bow at the crowd.

Sound static was heard over the sound system again before Deejay Rick's voice was heard. "Well, well, well Miss Casey, it looks like that performance was off the charts!" He exclaimed as he started another round of applause for the youngest Winchester.

She raised the microphone back to her mouth since she had to respond to that. "Thanks Rick. That song was called '_I Wanna Go_' and I'm guessing that none of you guys were expecting me to sing a song like that?" She asked the crowd, where she got many _no's _which made her smile turn into a smirk as it was obvious that she performed an unexpected song…just like the tie breaker required. "Oh Alex! You know what that means right?" She sing-songed into the microphone as she aimed a mischievous smile at the blonde player.

Alex had a huge grin on his face as he swung his arms up in the air. "YES!" He shouted, causing everyone to turn to him but he didn't care as he turned to face a stunned Cody and Brian. Alex dropped his arms before placing his hand out in front of him with a _gimme_ motion. "Cough it up you two…we _won_." He boasted, causing the two football players to groan as they dug out their share of the winnings and placed it into Alex's hands. Once they finished, Alex made a show of counting the money. "It was pleasure doing business with you boys." He stated in a subtle dismissal, never taking his eyes off the money as he counted out the shares in three ways. "He's your cut Ty." Tyler happily took his share while Alex turned to face the deejay booth where Casey had moved to so that Deejay Rick could detach her from the borrowed equipment. "Yo McDonald! Get your sexy ass over here and claim your prize!" Alex shouted to her from across the room as the music wasn't at full level yet, stunning the nearby crowd as they waited for Casey's response to Alex's demand.

Casey thanked Deejay Rick for his help as he returned her Ipod to her before she sauntered over to Alex with a beaming smirk on her face. "And what prize did you have in mind Alex?" She saucily teased as she approached him, fully aware of the crowd's eyes that were following her every move.

Alex chuckled. "Ya see, now why couldn't we be like this after we broke up? It would have been a hell of a lot more fun." He quipped as he was in a great mood after collecting their beer pong winnings.

Casey shrugged her shoulders as she held her hand out for the money. Alex didn't hesitate to give Casey her share…she definitely earned it with that performance. "Maybe…I guess we'll never know." She stated while counting her money while subconsciously settling into Devon's waiting embrace.

Alex sighed as he thought that over and he found himself disappointed at the fact that she was right…they would never know. "Yeah I guess you're right. What about a permanent truce Case?" He asked after a moments pause.

Casey stopped counting her money when she heard his words and she instantly looked up at Alex. She was surprised to see a sincere look on his face. _He's serious. _She couldn't help but think before a soft smile crossed her lips. "Best idea you've had all night."

He smirked at her approval. "Does that mean I can seal the deal with a kiss?" He teased but she just rolled her eyes.

"What do you think?"

Alex gave a nonchalant shrug since he knew what her answer would have been when he first suggested it. _She's not the cheating type. _"Better luck next time?"

Casey smiled but she surprised everyone in the group when she closed the distance between her and Alex and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now it's sealed with a kiss." She whispered into his ear before she took a step back, not missing the brief genuine smile that passed his lips before it turned into a smirk.

"Not what I had in mind but I'll take what I can get." Alex stated arrogantly as he pocketed his winnings.

Casey rolled her eyes as she stepped back into Devon's embrace. "As always." She stated before Devon whispered his thoughts on her performance and she had to resist the urge to blush at his words since she felt all the guys still watching her.

Alex laughed. "Hey now, don't be hating."

Before Casey could say her counter argument, she saw Sam Richards approaching their group. "Hey Sam. What's up?" She questioned, a little perplexed when she noticed that he was breathing heavily.

"Did you see her performance man? Awesome stuff!" Tyler voiced his praise at his friend before giving the performer in question a beaming smile.

Sam Richards smiled. "Yeah you were amazing Casey but that's not why I'm here." He nervously stated in the end as he dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Casey's brow furrowed out of confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sam gulped, not really liking _who_ he had seen earlier but he figured that Casey had a right to know considering the history between the two of them. "I thought you should know…Ryan's here."

The hunter's eyes widened. "What?"

"I saw him during your performance." Sam explained quickly as Casey's attention turned to the occupants of the room as she tried to scope Derek out.

When she realized that he wasn't where she last saw him during the performance or anywhere in the room, she turned back to Sam. "Where's Derek?"

Sam Richards could hear the worry in her tone, which made his answer all the more harder for him to say. "That's the thing, I don't know."

* * *

Derek was stunned speechless by the time Casey's performance was over as he couldn't get the way her body moved or the messages behind the lyrics out of his mind. What really did it for him was the way she looked at him during the performance, that fiery look he often saw during their fights was there but this time, that fire was meant for something else as he felt like she _wanted_ to reenact those lyrics with _him _which was crazy…right?

He was so caught up in his conflicting thoughts about his stepsister (and purposefully avoiding the nonstop comments around him that kept reminding him how _hot _and _sexy_ she was) that he didn't snap out of it until he heard Alex's shouted words across the crowd; _"Yo McDonald! Get your sexy ass over here and claim your prize!" _He cursed to himself when he saw her saunter over to Alex and he just had enough of it…he had to leave before he saw anything more…and that's what he did.

Derek discreetly left the _dance room _with an excuse to grab another beer but in his attempts to evade any suspicious eyes for his behavior, he wasn't paying attention to the person around the corner until his body slammed into said person.

Derek shook his head as he moved to dust himself off. "Sorry man." Derek stated before looking to see who he had bumped into but the moment Derek realized who it was, his eyes widened out of shock.

It was Ryan.

The Fridge looked down at his rival with a smirk plastered on his face. "Well look who it is…just the guy I was looking for. You know if your stepsister acted like that all these years, she'd be a lot more popular." He quipped but Derek could hear a slight edge in his voice when he referred to Casey as their encounter with Ryan two years ago came back to the forefront of his mind.

Derek put on an easy-going smile as he hid the fact that seeing Ryan _now_ was not a good thing. "Ryan. I didn't think you'd be here tonight." And he wasn't expecting to see the football player here, especially since it was an unofficial hockey hosted party, because ever since Ryan had agreed to Casey's deal, the only time that Derek ever saw _The Fridge _was if they shared the same class and he was internally grateful for that. It even went as far to the point that Derek forget that they went to the _same _school.

Ryan let out a dark laugh but it was easily covered by the music returning to its original sound level. "What, and miss out on seeing you for the last time…I don't think so. We have some unfinished business that we need to take care of Venturi." His expression hardened when he stated the last part and Derek could have sworn that he saw Ryan's eyes darken just a bit.

Derek swallowed the growing lump in his throat. _I don't want to do this now! _"I'm aware of that but aren't you forgetting something?" He nonchalantly asked as he gave off the impression that he wasn't affected by the intimidating bully in front of him when in fact he was...just a bit.

Ryan gave him a quizzical look as he tilted his head to the side. "Like what?" He questioned as he started to tap his finger against his chin. A few seconds later, he made the impression that he had just thought of what Derek was referring to but deep down, Derek had an inkling that Ryan was just playing with him. "Oh, you mean that deal I made with your stepsister?" He paused and all Derek could do was nod, which brought out an evil grin onto Ryan's face as he lowered his hands to his side. "Well here's the thing; how exactly is Lassiter going to expel me if I've already graduated? So you see Venturi, she's got _nothing_ against me now, so let's go." Derek's eyes widened at that realization before he noticed that Ryan was motioning for him to move.

"I'm not so sure that now-" Derek started to protest the idea but that thought went out the window when Ryan roughly grabbed Derek's arm and tugged him forward, pushing up to walk ahead of him. "-Alrighty then, no time like the present then…I guess." Derek grumbled as he obliged to Ryan's _demand_ as he hated being pushed around…what would that do to his reputation? Derek wasn't really concerned with that at this point as he made his way through the crowd as he headed towards the back entrance. He was slightly relieved that no one questioned his motives but that didn't mean that he didn't notice the few curious glances directed at him as they wondered why Ryan was following Derek Venturi outside…none of that matter as only one question had Derek's attention; how was he going to get out of this mess?

* * *

_Ryan was here….RYAN WAS HERE! _

The cruel fact kept running through her mind and the fact that none of them knew where Derek was just made her that much more on edge. All joking was put to the back of her mind as she easily slipped into hunter/protector mode as she made another scan around the room. _Derek still has to be in here…Ryan wouldn't go after him if he was around others. _She mused to herself but it wasn't helping as she knew that Ryan wasn't going to stop targeting Derek until he got his _revenge_ on him. Normally an issue as petty as Ryan wouldn't cause the hunter to freak out but when he's targeting someone she _cares_ about and she's not there to stop it…that's what made the hunter nervous as the mere thought of not getting there in time kept rushing through her mind.

Sam and Dean watched their sister slip on the mask and they instantly knew that something wasn't right. They too scanned the crowd but when they came up empty, they figured it had to deal with this Ryan guy that graduate-Sam was talking about.

Devon, on the other hand, tried to snap his best friend out of a mental freak-out but he wasn't having any luck but it did worry him to see her like this and judging from Alex and Tyler's expressions, they felt the same way too.

"SAM!" Everyone in the group snapped their attentions up just in time to see Emily push her way through the crowd, a little out of breath, with Carter right behind her. When she finally approached the group, she took a few deep breaths before she spoke to Sam. "I saw him but I couldn't get to him!"

Casey and Sam shared a quick look before they both looked to their friend. "Where?" They simultaneously asked but when Emily heard the voice of her best friend, she smiled at her with excitement.

"Hey Case, great performance!" Emily praised her best friend and Casey instantly knew that her friend's focus was still under the influence.

Casey resisted the urge to growl as she took a deep breath instead to calm down a bit. "Em, focus! Where did you see him?" She questioned her friend as she stepped close enough to her drunken friend so that she could grab her shoulders, hoping that it would help her friend/neighbor to focus on the task at hand.

"Heading to the backyard…with Ryan." She whispered to Casey and before anyone realized it, Casey was heading towards the back entrance as fast as she possibly could in her heels.

The guys looked quizzical at Emily, having not heard what she had said, but when they realized that her focus had disappeared at the moment they turned to Carter.

Carter didn't see what the big deal was so he shrugged his shoulders as he gave them the answer to their silent question. "Backyard."

They all nodded before they turned to Sam. "Who's Ryan?" The Winchesters simultaneously asked while they were just itching to follow Casey outside.

"Football player known as The Fridge." Sam explained but after hearing that, the Winchesters bolted in the same direction that Casey had. Her past email about Ryan came to the forefront of their mind and they were both seething with rage as they realized that she was about to go up against the guy that punched her in the jaw two years ago.

* * *

Once Derek stepped over the threshold that separated the indoors from the outdoors, he was hit with the crisp warm summer night breeze as the moon shone brightly upon them. He wasn't left completely in the dark as the pool lights and walkway were illuminating the night around him but Derek walked past the beautiful backyard set up that Jason's family had going on as he headed more towards the far end of the grassy area, knowing that Ryan was following closely behind him, halting any attempts Derek might have had to escape this encounter.

Derek sighed. "C'mon man, is this really necessary?" He questioned over his shoulder before he came to a spot which had enough light shining on it for them to see yet it was covered in enough darkness so that no one would suspect anything. _I can't let anyone else get involved…especially not Casey again. _He immediately thought and he wasn't surprised by it as he figured that he's always looked out for her in his own way but now with Ryan, he just didn't want Casey to intervene and get herself hit again like last time. _I still can't believe she took that punch for me. _

"If _she_ hadn't interrupted us two years ago, this would have been over and done with already Venturi." Ryan pointed out in a calm yet eerily tone as he followed his shorter rival.

"Yeah but our problems started a long time ago, can't we just forget about it?" Derek tried to reason with the football jock before he stopped to turn around and face him. Derek knew that he wouldn't back down from the fight if it truly came down to it but he also knew that he wouldn't be coming out of it unscathed no matter how much his ego argued otherwise.

Ryan laughed as if forgetting about it was even an option. It wasn't an option for the football jock as he remembered Derek taunting him and cracking jokes at his expense when they were twelve. "What? Are you scared to face me alone?" He teased the hockey player as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Derek shook his head defiantly. "It's not that…I just rather not fight at our last high school party." Derek shrugged as if it were no big deal and fortunately for Derek, Ryan bought the attitude.

"It's because of you I couldn't _go_ to most of the parties in the past two years." Ryan practically growled as he glared at Derek as he remembered how he always had to skip out on the parties since Derek was always present which would lead to Casey also being present too a majority of the time.

Derek scoffed, not believing that he was being blamed for something once again that was out of his control. _It's like everyone thinks I can __control_ _Casey or something. _"You seriously can't blame me for Casey showing up back then. You're the one that said the _wrong_ things to her and got her pissed off enough that she'd actually punch you."

"It was a lucky shot." Ryan stated through gritted teeth as he hated to be reminded of the punch the grade-grubbing keener had given him that day.

Derek smirk as the image of Casey punching Ryan never got old in his mind. "You know I would have agreed with you before but now…I don't." He stated with a shrug as he suppressed a chuckle when thoughts of Casey punching Truman a couple of days ago now crossed his mind.

Ryan arched his eyebrow in question at Derek. "What are you trying to say?"

Derek rolled his eyes, not wanting to elaborate on what he meant moments ago. "Forget it. If you want to fight then lets just get this over with before _she_ finds out."

Ryan smirked. "Fine by me." He stated as he uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides as his hands kept clinching into fists.

Derek took a deep breath as he watched Ryan while he readied himself for Ryan's attack, figuring one punch would be enough to satisfy the football jock but he was a little worried about _how_ _much_ power he'd put into that one punch.

"What the hell is going on here?" The yelled question reached their ears just as Ryan was pulling his arm back to perform the punch as Derek stood defiantly before him.

_Saved by the yell. _Derek thought as he turned to the source of the voice and he didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed that his stepsister was quickly approaching them.

Ryan groaned when he, too, recognized the voice. "Back off, this is none of your business." He stated through gritted teeth as his back was facing her.

Casey was furious at this point. When she heard it from Emily where she had seen Derek, she bolted to find him as her adrenaline increased tenfold with the added knowledge of Ryan's presence. The hunter knew that if Ryan was there then Derek would be the first person he sought out. It didn't take her long to realize where the best spots for a fight would be as she's been over to Jason's house many times so it only took her second guess before she found Derek and Ryan under the moonlight yet still concealed in the darkness around them near the back of the property.

"You wanna run that by me again because as I recall it is _my_ business or have you forgotten our agreement?" She sneered as she closed the distance between them.

Ryan laughed as he watched Casey enter his peripheral vision. "Well the way I see it, that deal became ineffective the moment Mr. Lassiter had no more power over us since he can't expel graduates now can he." He explained with a victorious smirk on his face as he watched her stop to stand beside Derek, who was watching her with a quizzical expression on his face.

Casey rolled her eyes as she crossed her exposed arms across her chest. "You don't think I know that, I'm not an idiot…unlike _you_ since you forgot the last part to our deal." She taunted back at him with a glare aimed right back at him.

Ryan couldn't help but laugh again since it seemed like the girl had no self-preservation whatsoever in her body. "What, that whole physical retaliation thing? You see, I thought that over and no one came to mind, so I'm calling your bluff McDonald." He stated with a shrug as he was smug in the fact that he had an argument against all her points.

Casey arched an eyebrow at him in amusement. "Is that so?" She asked as the challenge was clearly evident in her voice.

Before Ryan could respond, Casey felt a hand grip her bare shoulder and just by the shocks that went down her spine, she knew the hand belonged to none other than Derek and not to someone else who had joined their confrontation.

Derek ignored the shock that traveled throughout his body at the contact as he stepped a bit closer to Casey, his hand still perched on her shoulder. "Casey just let it go and go back to the party. Just let me get this over with." He told her with irritation lacing his voice but unlike Ryan, she could hear the soft undertone that accompanied it.

Casey turned her head to the side so that she could look at him over her shoulder, and Derek was shocked by what he saw; an intense pleading in her _hazel-green _eyes. "Derek no." She whispered as she hoped he would back down from the fight.

Derek was too transfixed on what he saw to response, which gave Ryan an opening to join back into the conversation (as well as to stop _whatever it was_ that was happening between the _stepsiblings_). "If you were smart enough McDonald, you'd butt out and let us guys handle it like we were supposed to. We wouldn't want another repeat like last time now would we?" His tone was threatening as he crossed his arms across his chest again.

Casey turned her attention back to Ryan as she kept her defiant stance intact while glaring the football player down. "Oh trust me when I say that if it's a repeat you want, it's a repeat you'll get but mark my words, you _won't _be laying a hand on me or Derek." She threatened right back with a menacing sneer.

Ryan snickered. "Is that so? We'll see about that." He stated closing the distance between him and the _stepsiblings_ but with Derek's hand still gripping Casey's shoulder, he tugged her backwards in hopes of getting her behind him so that he could shield her from Ryan. Casey stumbled a bit by the backward movement and she was about to protest before everyone stopped at the sound of another voice…a voice she was happy to be _very _familiar with.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dean Winchester interrupted just as he and Sam were approaching them from behind Ryan. Casey was now sporting a mischievous smirk when she saw her brothers and she subconsciously took a step into Derek as he was still shielding her but he didn't shy away from the close proximity between them as he gave perplexed looks towards the brothers. _Now why would they be out here?_

Ryan didn't recognize the voice but he didn't let his confusion show when he responded. "And why's that?" He bit back as he never took his eyes off of Derek and Casey.

As much as Dean wanted to pummel Ryan for punching his little sister before and for even thinking about punching her again, he couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's naivety when it came to Casey. "Just trust me when I say that you'll regret it if you do."

Ryan rolled his eyes before he turned his body. "Well it's a good thing that I don't trust you then, so _back __off_." He harshly retorted back as he hid his surprise when he finally saw _who_ had interrupted him for the second time that night. He suppressed the urge to give a nervous gulp as it was not just one guy that stopped him, but _two_ and they _weren't_ graduates.

Dean pretended to think as he circled Ryan. "Now you see, I can't do that." He stated just before he ended up between Ryan and the _stepsiblings_ while Sam remained where he stood as the brothers covered both sides of the football player.

Ryan looked between the brothers. "This doesn't concern either of you. This is between me and Venturi; nobody else." He finished with a glare directed at Derek, who was watching the scene before him in amusement as he'd love to see Ryan get his ass kicked but it bugged him that he needed _saving_ yet again.

Dean arched an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Doesn't look like that since there is a lady present." He defiantly stated as he gestured backwards to where Casey stood.

"Not for long." He growled as he glared over Dean's shoulder so that he could make eye contact with the lady in question, hoping that he'd appear more intimidating if he did it this way and that she'd back off.

Dean laughed at Ryan's attempts, not needing to see his sister to know that she was smirking due to Ryan's confused look that was now plastered on his face. "You're delusional if you think your threats are going to scare _her_ away."

Sam rolled his eyes, as he was getting tired of the situation already. "Dean this is getting ridiculous."

Dean shifted his gaze over to give his brother a _what-the-hell_ expression. "You don't think I know that but I'm not gonna walk away if this punk ass is threatening her." He ended off with a menacing glare directed back at said punk ass.

"You don't scare me." Ryan rebelliously stated as he looked Dean right in the eyes as they both appeared to be about the same height, with Dean beating him by an inch or two.

Dean looked to Sam, giving him a head nod, before he gave Ryan a smug smile as he slowly closed the distance between them while Sam slowly did the same as they encircled Ryan, whose attention remained on Dean. "You sure about that…because I'll let you in on a little secret…" Dean was right in Ryan's personal space at this point as he continued to hold the teenager's gaze with his threatening one. "_No__ one_ ever wants to get on my bad side and messing with my family will put you there _indefinitely_ and I don't care what age you are because I will hunt you down and make you suffer just like you did to my family…and for the record, I consider Casey my family which makes _her_ family, my family…see where I'm going with this?" He spat out venomously as if Ryan was one of the creatures that they hunted and killed on an everyday basis.

Ryan saw it in Dean's eyes that he wasn't joking so all he could do was nod, to tell the man in front of him that he understood.

Dean noticed this before a satisfied smirk graced his lips. "Good and just in case you don't believe me, when I was your age my brother-", Dean motioned to Sam before he continued with his tale, "-who was fourteen at the time and the smallest in his grade, had a little bit of a bullying problem himself and I told him to either take care of it himself or I'd hunt down the little weasel and I'd rip his lungs out just for picking on my brother." Dean paused and he was once again satisfied when he saw Ryan take a nervous gulp as his tough guy resolve was slowly crumbling before the hunter's had a proud smile directed at Sam before he glared back at Ryan, in time to continue his trip down memory lane. "I'm proud to say that Sammy-boy here took care of the bully himself who was twice his size in both height and weight and that was _way_ before he hit his growth spurt."

Ryan's eyes widened because he knew that the man before him, _Dean_, was talking about the one standing just behind him and the guy behind him, _Sammy-boy_, was much taller than himself.

"So imagine what his skills are like _now_…and keep in mind that he had to learn them from _someone_-" Dean pointed to himself before he continued once again, "-who happened to share their skills with another special someone-" Dean turned his gaze to look at his sister and when Ryan followed Dean's line of sight, he saw that he was indeed referring to Casey, who smirked as she gave him a two finger wave as if she knew that they were talking about her as both her and Derek weren't close enough to hear Dean's whispered threat.

Dean chuckled at his sister's antics before he turned back to Ryan, who looked like he was finally grasping on _who_ exactly he was dealing with. "So I'll ask you, is breaking Casey's deal really worth it because _no__ matter __what_, whether Venturi likes it or not, you'd have to get through me, my brother _and_ my little girl before you get to Derek. So what's it gonna be _kid_? Are you staying or leaving?" The eldest Winchester whispered the options with venom dripping off his words and Ryan instantly knew that he really only had _one_ choice in the matter.

"Leaving." The Fridge managed to get out which caused a chain reaction of smiles among the Winchesters; oldest to youngest.

Dean gave Ryan a hard pat on the shoulder. "Glad you see it our way." He happily retorted before his expression darkened and his hand on Ryan's shoulder tightened, causing the teenager to go wide eyed due to the sudden change before him. "Now get outta here before I change my mind and punch your lights out for what you did to my little girl two years ago." The hunter sneered as he got right into Ryan's face. "And never lay your eyes on anyone in my family ever again. Do you understand?"

Ryan vigorously nodded his head up and down as the man before him was really starting to scare him. "Y-yes."

"Good, now scram!" Dean demanded harshly, causing Ryan to stumble back a bit before he took off. The brothers watched the graduate leave the property before they turned to Casey and Derek. "You two okay?"

Derek was stunned by the soft yet firm tone that Dean used to speak to them in comparison to the tone he used to speak to Ryan earlier. Derek hadn't heard the whispered threats that Dean was giving his rival as Casey told him to stay where he was but he had a feeling that she _knew_ what Dean was saying to Ryan even though the older brother's back was towards them.

Casey smiled at her brother. "We're fine Dean."

Dean nodded his head as Sam handed Casey her leather jacket back, who nodded her head as a thanks before she threaded her arms into her jacket's sleeves. "You could have been nicer Dean." Sam protested to his brother as he returned to his spot beside the older hunter.

Dean scoffed. "I could have but then again you were just dying to hit him just as much as I wanted to. Admit it." He stated with a triumphant glance as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Sam shook his head. "Violence doesn't solve anything."

"But it does get the message across." Dean easily countered back; knowing that his brother's _violence isn't the answer_ mentality was all bullshit as Sam had the same philosophy on standing up for yourself and for those you cared about, just like any other Winchester.

Sam sighed. "If you say so."

Dean smirked at his brother. "I know so."

"You didn't have to do that for me you know." Derek interrupted the brothers as he didn't like being in debt with people and well…he figured that's what he was now, in debt to the Winchester brothers.

"I know." The oldest brother stated nonchalantly before turning his attention to the graduates.

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion. _Then why would he help me? _"Then why?"

"I have my reasons." That's all Dean said before he started to walk away as he was in need of a walk to cool down.

Derek didn't need to know that Dean had intervened because of Casey. Derek didn't need to know that the reason why the hunter wasn't reprimanding him now for the way he treated Casey over the past three years was because of _her_ feelings towards him. Derek didn't need to know that it was because of his connection to the youngest Winchester that he's now gained two protectors, whether he liked it or not (or whether he knew it or not), Derek was family and _this_ hunting family protected their loved ones as best as they could.

Derek's jaw gapped a few times after Dean's mysterious departure before he turned to look at Sam, who was still watching his brother curiously. "Is he always like that?" Derek questioned as he too watched Dean's departing form.

"Yeah, pretty much." The remaining Winchesters simultaneously answered, which caught Derek off guard when he heard his stepsister answer his question. He turned to give her a curious look but he missed the silent look Sam had made to Casey before he took off after Dean.

Derek's attention snapped back to where Sam stood when he heard the receding footsteps. "Do _you_ know what Dean said to get Ryan to back off?" Derek questioned before he looked back at Casey.

Casey smirked. "I have a pretty good idea."

"Care to share then?"

Casey mulled it over before she walked past him. "Maybe some _other_ time." She called back to him as she made her way back to Jason's _mansion_, not entirely surprised when she saw many shadowed figures pressed up against the back windows from where she stood.

Derek took a few giant steps before he quickly fell into step with the brunette. "Why can't you tell me now?" He asked once again as he placed his hands into his pockets.

She gave him a soft smile as she turned around so that she was walking backwards. "Because I have the rest of our lives to tell you while we have only _one_ night to celebrate with everyone Der so can't we just go back to the party?" She questioned as she stopped in her tracks causing Derek to mimic her actions as he stood right in front of her.

"I won't be able to let this go Case." He whispered before he looked into her eyes, noticing once again that they were a _beautiful_ hazel-green color instead of the deep oceanic blue color that he's had many stare downs with over the past three years. _Why aren't her eyes blue anymore?_

She could see it in his chocolate brown eyes that he was telling her the truth; he wasn't going to let what just happened go. She sighed. "Not even for a little while?" She asked but he shook his head from side to side. She closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply before she slowly exhaled. "Should have figured as much…you rarely gave up when it came to what you wanted." She quipped before she opened her eyes once again to the sight of Derek smirking as he watched her.

"Yeah well, you know my motto." He cockily stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

Casey chuckled as an amused smile formed on her lips. "_What Derek wants, Derek gets._"

Derek grinned as if he were a cat that just ate the canary. "Exactly, so just tell me now." He coaxed, hoping her good mood would persuade her to his line of thinking.

"But Der, we're doing what _I_ want tonight." She innocently announced but Derek could sense a slight undertone that he wasn't familiar with when it came to the brunette in front of him.

"And what's that?" He challenged but when he saw her take a step closer to him, invading his personal bubble, his eyes widened slightly as his mind couldn't fathom what her next move could be.

Casey knew that she shouldn't be this close to him, their lips only had a few centimeters between them, but she needed to see his reaction…plus she figured she'd just blame the alcohol in her system as it easily made her forget the barriers that she had established between the two of them since she discovered her true feelings for her pseudo-stepbrother.

He could feel her sweet breath caress his lips as she slowly exhaled, they were that close in proximity, and he was stunned that he wasn't appalled or afraid of the closeness between them but either way, he was frozen as only his eyes seemed to be working as he searched for any sign from her and what her intentions were. _What should I do? _He frantically questioned himself, not liking the idea that _Casey_ was making him freak out like this but he figured it was the alcohol's fault but before he could make a choice, she made it for him.

"Forgetting about the future for one night and just letting loose." She whispered into his lips, barely touching them before she quickly pulled away, a smirk worthy of a Winchester on her lips before she twirled around as she started walking back towards the party.

Derek stood there; completely dumbstruck at what just happened as she twirled before shaking his head as he tried to refocus. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you weren't my stepsister at all." He shouted back to her, loud enough so that she would hear it as the distance between them grew.

Casey looked over her shoulder with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm not…remember?" She stated before she fully turned around to face him with her arms spread out wide. "_Tonight_, I'm just your fellow graduate, ready to get hammered and to party until I blew my brains out." She freely declared as she tried to get her emotions in check as she still mentally berated herself for almost _kissing _Derek moments ago.

Derek laughed. "Yeah right." He said in a disbelieving tone.

Casey shrugged as she turned back around on her heel. "Suit yourself Der but I'm going to find the others. You should eventually do the same." She called out towards him, over her shoulder, before heading back to the party as she left Derek rooted to his spot thinking; _yeah maybe I should do just that. _

* * *

From the back windows, Devon was able to see when Casey was close enough to the house as her form was illuminated by the lights near the building's perimeter so once he saw her, he made his way to meet her at the back entrance.

Before the brothers had raced out to catch up with Casey, they told them to stay inside and while a majority of them didn't want to sit back and wait, they all moved to the windows that had given them a perfect view of the backyard. Unfortunately for them, the confrontation was too far away for them to make out what was happening and it was so dark to the point that they couldn't tell _who_ was there to begin with but thanks to previous knowledge, they knew that the confrontation consisted of Casey, Derek, Ryan and the Winchester brothers.

Another fortunate thing was that only the group of two graduates and four Toronto roommates were aware of the confrontation as the rest of the graduates went on with their night after witnessing Casey's surprising performance.

When she finally crossed the threshold at the back entrance, he finally made his presence known but he made sure not to creep up on her. "Hey." He greeted and when he got a soft smile in return from her, he continued. "Everything okay?"

As her ears were adjusting to the blaring sound system, all Casey could do was nod as her answer at the moment while she stepped closer to Devon, entwining their hands together before she squeezed his hand. He immediately squeezed her hand back before he pulled her into his arms, knowing that she'd need the comfort by that simple gesture.

Casey relaxed in Devon's arms, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, as her close encounter with Derek still rattled her to the point that she wasn't able to keep her calm façade intact.

He felt her relax in his arms but he knew that something was troubling her…but he had a feeling it wasn't about the confrontation she just had since she nodded to him, reassuring him that everything was fine. He tilted his head a bit so that his mouth was once again at the shell of her ear. "Is there anything I could do? I don't like seeing you this…frazzled Cay."

Casey sighed, the concern in his voice was very evident and the hunter didn't like how she was hurting her friend by not being completely honest to him and it was _killing _her. She leaned her head back so that she could look into Devon's questioning blue eyes. "You said you'd listen to whatever problem I had going on, right?" She timidly asked, knowing that there was no going back now.

Devon shook his head, a little stunned that she brought it up _now_. "Yeah of course. Does this-"

"And you remember what we agreed upon the weekend before I moved right?" She quickly asked once again, interrupting him in the process.

Devon scoffed. "How could I forget?" He quipped and he was pleased that he got a smile to form on her lips, granted it wasn't a huge one but it was a start considering the unpredictable conversation they were in.

"What if they conflict?" She softly asked, so soft that he almost didn't hear her because of the music.

Devon's brow furrowed due to his confusion. "What do you mean? I thought you were-"

Casey immediately shook her head as she reassured him that she was indeed _single_. "I am, it's just…" She hesitated as she slowly looked around her; slightly satisfied that it seemed like they were off in a semi-secluded around with barely anyone within hearing distance.

"Just what?" He coaxed when she didn't say a word during her slow search of her surroundings.

"I…can we find somewhere else to talk?" She suggested as she didn't want to have _this_ talk with any prying ears listening in on their conversation, especially with what the conversation topic was suspected to be on; her feelings for a certain hockey player.

Devon nodded in agreement. "Yeah sure."

She gave her best friend a grateful smile before she led the way through Jason's home, their hands still entwined together, as she searched for the back staircase that she's used many times during her past party experiences when she wanted to escape or when she was over during one of her tutoring sessions with Jason.

He followed her up the back staircase, taking note of how the volume of the music decreased substantially, before he noticed that they had entered a long hallway on the second floor with many doors as well as many different turning points into other mini hallways. He didn't pay much attention to those as Casey stopped in front of the door at the very end of the main hallway.

The young hunter knew the layout of the mansion, so she instantly went to the last door in the main hallway as it consisted of a guest bedroom that always remained locked during Jason's parties. She asked Jason this one time during their tutoring session why that was the case and he said that besides his family members' bedrooms, he wanted at least one bedroom to be off-limits because even though everyone knows _not_ to go upstairs, he knew there were always those daring few that defied that rule or there were couples that were just in the heat of the moment, who happened to find themselves in one of the many guest bedrooms in the mansion. Casey had nodded in understanding but what she found surprising was when Jason took her hand and showed her _where_ they hid the _key _for _that_ room. She didn't understand why until he said the sweetest thing to her when it came to the subject; _"I'm showing you because I know you won't take advantage of the room Casey but if you ever need a place to just…escape from the chaos of the party, you're welcome to use the room. I trust you and think of it as a thank you for the tutoring." _

Casey smiled as Jason's words crossed her mind as she went to retrieve the key yet not before telling Devon to close his eyes (she couldn't betray Jason's trust by having Devon see where the hiding place for the key was located). She quickly unlocked the guestroom before tugging on Devon's arm for him to follow her inside.

Once inside, she turned on the nightstand's lamp as Devon shut the door to lock it, not wanting to be disturbed because he knew that whatever Casey would say now was something she didn't want anyone else to know about.

Casey put the guestroom's key on the nightstand by the door before she walked further into the room as she took it all in. It was simple and it was very clear that it didn't belong to any one person in particular as all the accessories seemed to be of neutral interest. The window had a view of the huge backyard and a full view of the moon in the sky. Casey walked over to take a better look, taking in the full beauty that is the night sky (since she couldn't earlier) and she searched for anything else in the area. She was satisfied to see no neighbors were near by so she kept the curtains pulled back so the moonlight could shine through.

Devon watched Casey's every move and in doing so, he took in his new surroundings too but he never really took his attention off of his best friend. He watched as the brunette headed towards the vanity set that resided along the wall in front of the bed. She had stripped her jacket off and placed the coat on top of the empty surface before she looked at her reflection, easily seeing Devon in the background.

He took a step closer to her as he noticed how her gaze in the reflection seemed a bit analytical, like she was coming to a realization in that moment of looking in the mirror and he was right because when the young hunter looked in the mirror _now_, she couldn't believe how different she saw herself compared to how she looked before the day's events. She could see parts of her old self staring back; confident, daring, independent, a lot of the qualities she forgot she even had during her time living in London. _I missed being me. _

Devon made his way to sit on the end of the bed, so that he was directly behind Casey as she was still facing the mirror. "So what conflict were you talking about before?" He questioned as he watched her bare shoulders tense a bit before they slumped dejectedly as she released a sigh.

She gripped the ends of the vanity table, hoping that it would lend her some support as she tried to find the right words to explain it to him. "I have…suppressed feelings for someone and I feel like if we go through with…our promise then I would be using you to alleviate those and I _can't _do that to you." She slowly explained while not making eye contact with him in person or with his reflection.

Devon slowly nodded his head, knowing that wasn't all of it but he wasn't going to push her to open up to him; it never worked like that between them. "I see. Is that all of it?"

Casey shrugged. "Without going into too much detail…yeah." She stated as she turned to face her best friend while leaning against the vanity.

Devon laughed just under his breath before he gave the girl in front of him a lopsided smile as he held his hand out to her. Once she accepted his hand, he gently pulled her closer to him, so that she now stood with her legs between his as his hands instinctively rested behind her knees. "Alright, clarify this for me then; whether you go on the road or not, our relationship still remains the same, right?" He asked as he tilted his head up to look at her beautiful face.

Casey smiled as her hands fell on top of Devon's shoulders. "Yeah, we agreed to going back to being just best friends just after we started dating and we reestablished that when we made that promise before I moved." She elaborated as she gave him a look that said _how-could-I-forget_.

Devon chuckled as he started tracing small circles on her skin just behind her knees. "Alright, so whether you _use me_ or not tonight, we're still going to be best friends…right?" He easily fired off in his hopes to get rid of her doubts on the situation.

Casey groaned, not liking how easily he could say _that_ when it hurt her to even think about it. "Devon."

Devon arched an eyebrow at her with a challenging look. "Right?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him because he was right, no matter what happened between them, they would _always_ be best friends. "Yes."

Devon smiled before he pulled Casey into his lap, initiating a squeal from her as she was shocked by the action but she recovered quickly as her arms easily snaked around his waist while his arms went around her torso. "Then I see no problem." He declared with ease before he got serious. "I get it if you don't want to because…well you don't want to-" He slowly stated with a shrug but before he continued, he snaked one of his hands up her arm, his fingers grazing over her skin as he made his way to her face so that he could lift her chin up so that she could look at him when he continued on by saying, "-but I can _see_ that you _want_ to for old time's sake." He bluntly stated as his hand went back down to her thigh.

She didn't have to say a thing as he saw her resolve crumbling in her eyes. He didn't even have to look at her beautiful eyes to know that she _wanted_ to go through with the promise just with the way that she still reacted to his touch, his taste…she was still accustomed to it, _that_ much was obvious.

He moved his gaze from her eyes down to her lips, her deliciously perfect lips, licking his own in anticipation as he leaned down a little closer. "This was meant to be _closure_ Casey, for the both of us, but it's your call and I'll _always_ support it." He whispered against her lips, his breath mingled with hers as there were only mere centimeters between them.

Casey resisted the moan that she wanted to let loose as the combination of their close proximity and the way his hands moved over her body had her wanting to forget about everything and enjoy the moment with Devon, a moment that she _needed_ but she couldn't do it…at least not yet anyways. "You won't hate me or think any less of me?" She whispered before she bit her lip in anticipation and the act alone was driving Devon crazy, so he answered her with a lustful kiss. His lips devoured hers as her hand instantly went to his head as her fingers threaded through his hair.

Before they got too ahead of themselves, Devon broke the kiss so they could catch their breaths as he looked her straight in the eyes. "I could _never_ hate you…if learning about your occupation hasn't already stirred up hateful feelings towards you then nothing will." He teased as his hand on her back still ghosted up and down her spine.

Casey exhaled deeply as her hand had slipped from his hair to the nape of his neck, where her fingers ghosted over his skin as they traced circles there. "I haven't been _her_ in awhile." She sadly admitted with a small smile.

Devon instinctively moved the hand on her thigh up to cup her cheek. "Then be her again. Be _Casey__ Winchester_ again; the fighter, the savior and the destroyer of all things evil." He firmly stated each point one by one as he leaned in towards her, truly pleased when he saw it in her eyes that with every point stated, it casted a bit of her façade away as she slowly let her true self show in her hazel-green eyes. "No more hiding, just be who _you_ were meant to be, who you've always been when you're with _me_…because you don't have to hide it from me Cay…_never_ from _me_." He huskily stated in a whisper as he descended onto her lips once again, cherishing the taste that was ultimately Casey and Casey alone.

She gasped when she felt his hand move around her torso. "Be the hunter you were raised to be." He whispered into her mouth when she parted her lips, allowing him entrance into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. He could feel her fingers from one hand massage his head while her other hand fisted the back of his shirt.

When it came time to have another breather, instead of returning his lips to hers, Devon placed small kisses along her jawline as he made his way to her ear. "Be a _Winchester_ again." He whispered into her ear and hearing him say that in his deep and seductive voice had allowed the brunette in his lap to break the final barrier in her mind that had truly kept her real identity hidden from the people around her…but not anymore. She didn't have to repress anything, she didn't have to watch what she said or did anymore, she just had to _feel_ and take in the moment.

She immediately took control as she snaked her hand out of his hair and down his face as she turned it to face her, halting his assault on her neck. When their eyes locked, he gave her a quizzical look as he wondered _why_ she stopped him but it wasn't until he truly looked at her did he notice the desired look in her darkened eyes (which could be a reflection of his own eyes) as she closed the distance between them with a seductive smirk on her lips.

"Oh I plan to." It was all she said before she crashed her lips back onto his.

* * *

**[FLASHBACK – August 2001]**

It was a beautiful starry night in August but that fact alone didn't really matter to the couple that was currently naked and tangled in each other's arms after another night of passion between them.

Her head rested on his chest as she concentrated on his heartbeat as he tried to get it down to its normal beat, like she was doing too. Her fingers ghosting over his abdomen as she traced the outline of his abs while his own arm wrapped around her petite frame as he drew light patterns onto her toned stomach.

Normally, they would both be in a deep sleep in each other's arms right after their nightly activity but tonight was different. The couple couldn't find sleep as many thoughts had flashed through their minds once they were cleared of the lustful haze that they had found themselves in earlier.

"I guess this is it." Casey Winchester dejectedly stated as her fingers still ghosted along her boyfriend's abdomen.

"It doesn't have to be." Devon McCloud pointed out as he held her tightly in his arms.

Casey lifted her head a bit so that she could look her boyfriend/best friend in the eyes. "Nora's getting married next weekend and then I'm moving." She stated with a sigh as that day was going to change everything that she had in Toronto. "We got lucky tonight." She mumbled gratefully as she referred to the fact that if it weren't for Nora's need to be in London that weekend for last minute wedding details, the hunter and her boyfriend wouldn't currently be in her bed since she was _supposed_ to be sleeping over at Lily's (her good friend and Carter Wilson's girlfriend) while Lizzie was staying over at one of her teammate's place.

Devon inhaled as he took in her words yet after hearing them so often, the weight they carried was never lifted. "I know that Cay."

She gave him a quizzical look, not really getting what he was referring to earlier. "Then what are you talking about?"

He shrugged his shoulders a bit before he spoke. "We could always try the long distance thing."

The hunter sighed. "We already talked about that. It's better for the both of us if our romantic relationship ended once I moved."

"You wouldn't be saying that if our situation was different." The hockey player immediately pointed out. It was at times like this when it felt like he was losing her forever that he would bring it up, as if he could easily put that as the true reason but in his heart he knew that he couldn't.

Her look softened when she looked at the boy that was lying slightly beneath her. "You know how much I _wish_ it was different Devon but there's _nothing_ we can do about it. We could have ended it once we realized the truth but we didn't." She reminded him as she fought back the tears that wanted to suddenly fall from her eyes. Ever since she came to the sad realization, she wished with all her heart that she _could_ change it because what she had with Devon was _perfect_ but apparently it wasn't meant to be between them.

"Yeah I know and for the record, I'm glad we didn't stop." He smirked; instantly forcing his sad smile away once he saw that she was fighting back tears…he didn't want to upset her even more but he couldn't help it as the topic was depressing enough but they couldn't avoid it anymore.

She let a few giggles escape her before she moved her hand up to cup his face. "Me too and it's because of you, I'll have happy memories to look back on when it comes to my dating life." She told him with a wide smile because no matter what happened between them in the future after she moved, she would always have the memories and she was _very_ thankful about that.

She would never have to worry about experiencing something for the first time with a total stranger because Devon had taken care of that in their time together. Devon may not have been the hunter's first kiss, but she didn't care as he was part of so many of her other 'first' memories. He wasn't just the first person outside her family that she trusted completely but he was also the first person to accept her for who she was and what she'd done in the past. He became her best friend, her first real boyfriend and most of all; he was the person to show her _what_ love was all about (or at least a taste of what it could be like).

"You'll date again I'm sure." He stated with a small chuckle since he couldn't imagine her _not_ dating in the future.

She laughed with him too before she placed a butterfly kiss along his throat. "Oh I know I will but the milestones I spent with you, they will always be my most cherished memories." She whispered in a bit of a husky tone before she went back to peppering kisses down his throat.

With the combination of those words and her actions, Devon couldn't help the groan that escaped his throat. "You really know how to boost a guy's ego Cay."

She giggled as she made her way down his chest. "I do what I can."

He shut his eyes tight as he tried to recollect his thoughts. "So back to my idea…" He managed to get out after a few moments but he didn't like the raspy tone that it came out in…but Casey did and he knew that when he felt her smirk against his skin when she placed one final kiss above his heart.

"Right, which was?" She innocently asked as she looked up at him with hooded eyes.

Devon instantly cleared his throat as he tried to push the current image of a naked yet innocent-looking Casey out of his mind before he lost his train of thought once again. "Well you're worried that our _arrangement_ might have screwed up any chances we have at finding our future spouses, right?"

She nodded her head. "Right."

"Well I'm completely okay with continuing our _arrangement _because quite frankly, we're too young to be thinking that far into the future."

She instantly lifted her head off his chest as she had her forearms supporting her. "Sixteen is not too young!" She protested immediately.

He rolled his eyes. "For non-hunters, yes it is and you should stop thinking in terms that you are going to die the next day from _something_."

Casey sighed. "I can't help it." She sadly admitted as she lowered her body back to where it once was.

"Well, keep telling yourself that your family practically guaranteed you a hunting-free life until you graduate." He reminded her again, he usually had to when it came to anything involving the future, but he understood where her line of thinking was coming from.

"It doesn't actually work like that Devon." Casey softly told him as she shook her head from side to side.

Devon smirked. "I know that just, go with it."

She smiled when she felt his grip around her waist tighten. "Okay…go on."

"Right…so I was thinking that if for some reason we could never meet up while you're still residing in Ontario, we should put aside one day, before you go back on the road, when we'd meet up and spend it like we've been doing for the past couple of months." He suggested but he couldn't help but internally cringe as the idea sounded a lot better in his head than it did when he said it just now.

The hunter gave him a skeptical look. "Spend it how?"

He shrugged, not really offended by that specific look of hers. "However you want. We could spend it like we did when we first met or we could spend it like we were a couple again."

Casey mulled the proposal over a bit more in her head but she was still torn so she did the only thing she knew that would help her; she asked questions. "So if I wanted to kiss you, I could?"

Devon nodded his head. "Yes and if I wanted to devour you, I could." Before she could even react, Devon had already flipped them over before he crashed his lips onto hers and she didn't hesitate in kissing him right back.

When they needed a breather, Devon didn't stray far as he moved his kisses to her throat. As much as she hated the idea of stopping Devon, especially when his lips felt so good against her skin, she still needed answers. "As tempting as that sounds, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of why we're breaking up now instead of trying the long distance thing?" She managed to get out after a few moans had accidentally escaped her lips.

Devon groaned into the crook of her neck before he propped himself on his elbows so that he was just hovering over his best friend/girlfriend. "Then how about this; whatever our personal relationship status is on that day, that will determine how we spend the day together."

"So if I have a boyfriend or if you have a girlfriend, then our final day before I go back on the road would be spent with us just hanging out as best friends?" She questioned just before she bit her bottom lip.

Devon felt the need to lick his dry lips as his eyes never left her kissable lips. "Right but if we're both single, then it's back to being _best friends with benefits_ for the day." He declared with a wiggle of his eyebrow, causing the hunter to giggle once again.

"Where anything or nothing could happen between us."

"Exactly." He dropped down as he claimed her lips once again. "So what do you say?" He questioned when they needed another breather.

She nodded, already liking the idea of hooking up with him one last time before becoming an active hunter again. "Alright but once I'm on the road again we're back to being best friends _only_, like we agreed to before he started dating."

"I know." That seemed to be it for the conversation as the young couple went back to making out, which ended up turning into another sleepless night together.

**[END FLASHBACK]**

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**Music Disclaimer: **I don't own the songs used in this chapter. It was just used for solely entertainment purposes only. (I hope that covered it).

"_I Wanna Go_" belongs to Britney Spears and her record label.

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**A/N #4: DON'T HATE ME! It had to be done!** Anyways, what did you think? There was _a lot_ happening in this chapter…Casey' performance, Ryan causing trouble and the hunters interrupting the confrontation, a brief moment between Dasey and then parts of the promise between Casey and Devon was revealed! What was your favorite part? What did you think of it all? What do you think will happen next?

**A/N #5: **At first, I wanted an actual fight to occur between Ryan and the Winchesters but then I thought against it as it would have been _too much_ of a reveal. What do you think? I hope the way I went in the end was to your liking.

**A/N: **Alright so I had originally written the guest bedroom scene awhile back (around the time I introduced Devon and the guys into the story) so I had to make adjustments to make it fit perfectly but I just had to add that in for Cason since that's what I had planned for them all along. I'll explain more on the why in the next chapter but I kind of got the inspiration of Cason from Dan/Marti from the show "_Hellcats_".

**A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH for sticking with me and this story as it truly means the world to me!** You guys are the only ones I could go to when it comes to my favorite shows so I greatly appreciate it! Anyways, here's a little heads up; I just finished writing the next chapter last night (so you'll get a short sneak peek if you review) but I won't post the chapter until **after** I come back from my cruise (my first time on a plane and boat so I can't wait!) which will be after August 10th. That also means that I won't be on the internet as much during my time away, but if I ever do go on the internet during my trip, it would be to update my LiveJournal account so make sure you check that out for any updates about my trip, this story or for any of my other stories. Now I should really end this _very_ long author's note and let you go! **Let me know what you thought about this chapter in a review and have a great sunny day!**

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**Originally Published: **July 19, 2011


	17. Ch 16: Goodbyes Are Never Easy

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 16: Goodbyes Are Never Easy **

**A/N #1: **I'm back...a fact that both excites and saddens me because although I was having a blast on my cruise, I truly missed all you guys on the site. With that being said, just a warning that I got absolutely no addition writing done over the last week because of my cruise (who could write when you have a gigantic ship to explore?).

**A/N #2: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the hits, reviews and additional alerts to this story! It truly means the world to me and I'm ecstatic to read your thoughts on a story that is very dear to my heart (I just can't stop thinking about how to expand the story). **THANK YOU!  
**

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**WARNING: **Parts of this chapter borders on a T/M rating and it's a first for me to write so I hope I do it justice! *wink*

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

_Party Goers: _Jason Donovan (host), Jordan Baker (challenger; basketball jock), Cody Collins & Brian Winters (team challengers; football jocks)

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Bully Brothers," "Surprise" and "Tuesday Afternoon Fever."

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Pilot"

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"The Bully Brothers" and "Surprise – Part 2"

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

Casey exhaled deeply as her hand had slipped from his hair to the nape of his neck, where her fingers ghosted over his skin as they traced circles there. "I haven't been her in awhile." She sadly admitted with a small smile.

Devon instinctually moved the hand on her thigh up to cup her cheek. "Then be her again. Be _Casey__ Winchester_ again; the fighter, the savior and the destroyer of all things evil." He firmly stated each point one by one as he leaned in towards her, truly pleased when he saw it in her eyes that with every point stated, it casted a bit of her façade away as she slowly let her true self show in her hazel-green eyes. "No more hiding, just be who you were meant to be, who you've always been when you're with _me_…because you don't have to hide it from me Cay…_never_ from _me_." He huskily stated in a whisper as he descended onto her lips once again, cherishing the taste that was ultimately Casey and Casey alone.

She gasped when she felt his hand move around her torso. "Be the hunter you were raised to be." He whispered into her mouth when she parted her lips, allowing him entrance into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. He could feel her fingers from one hand massage his head while her other hand fisted the back of his shirt.

When it came time to have another breather, instead of returning his lips to hers, Devon placed small kisses along her jawline as he made his way to her ear. "Be a _Winchester_ again." He whispered into her ear and hearing him say that in his deep and seductive voice had allowed the brunette in his lap to break the final barrier in her mind that had truly kept her real identity hidden from the people around her…but not anymore. She didn't have to repress anything, she didn't have to watch what she said or did anymore, she just had to _feel_ and take in the moment.

She immediately took control as she snaked her hand out of his hair and down his face as she turned it to face her, halting his assault on her neck. When their eyes locked, he gave her a quizzical look as he wondered why she stopped him but it wasn't until he truly looked at her did he notice the desired look in her darkened eyes (which could be a reflection off his own eyes as well) as she closed the distance between them with a seductive smirk on her lips.

"Oh I plan to." It was all she said before she crashed her lips back onto his.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[Sat. June 26, 2004]_

Her arms snaked around his neck while her fingers threaded through his hair once again and while she distracted him with their heated make out session, she fluidly moved her body so that in one swift motion, she had moved her leg so that she now straddled him, her jean skirt hiking up a bit more as her toned legs were now exposed to Devon's touch. The movement didn't surprise the teenager as his hands just followed along before one hand landed on her hip while the other landed on her thigh.

After spending some time attending to her lips, Devon's focus went lower as he peppered hungry kisses along her neck as he made his way to her collarbone as he reached the end of her exposed skin as her halter top was now in his way of tasting her even more. He groaned at the restriction as his grip on her tightened.

Her head tilted back, eyes shut tight as she moaned for his touch, savoring every bit of it as she thanked the heavens that she had a photographic memory as she'd never wanted to forget this…her time with Devon. She was reveling in the moment even more when she heard his groan, making her want him even more but when she didn't feel anymore kisses, she frowned before she opened her eyes to look down to see him tugging on her shirt as he looked up at her with the cutest expression as if he were pleading for her permission to take the damn fabric off of her body.

She giggled as she untangled her arms from around his neck before she grabbed the hem of her halter top and pulled it over her head, dropping it to the floor just behind her. She watched as his eyes darkened even more with lust as he took in her partially-nude torso as his main focus was on her cleavage as it was being covered by her black lacy strapless bra.

He smirked as he leaned forward to give her another bruising kiss as he reveled in the fact that he had more of her skin to touch while she worked on getting his shirt unbuttoned. He slowly moved down to where her pulse point was located before he began sucking it as a hickey formed in its place. He pulled back to examine his mark on her and when he was satisfied, he went to descend down onto her collarbone once again but Devon stopped as he caught a glimpse of something in the mirror in front of him. When he moved her hair to the side to get a better look, his eyes widened when he saw Casey's backside in the mirror as it now had a flaming pentagram tattoo in jet-black ink just below her bra strap where the hooks were located. _She did not have a tattoo the last time we were together. _He mused to himself before he pulled back to meet her gaze and it was the perfect timing as she just finished unbuttoning his shirt.

"Seems like there have been a few _additions_ since I've last seen you." Devon stated as he slowly pulled her body towards him as his fingers moved from the underside of her breast to the inked design as he traced the permanent lines etched onto her smooth skin.

She stilled in his arms as she had to bite back a moan at his actions, never having anyone react to the design like the way Devon was behaving at that moment but then again, he's the first to fully see it. She recalled when Derek had a little sneak peek of it a few days ago but she figured that didn't count in her books.

"Any more I'm not aware of?" He looked away from the mirror and up at Casey with a look of awe in his eyes.

"You're gonna have to find it 'cause I'm not telling." She teased as she slowly slid his shirt off his torso with ease as he gave her full reign at the moment but once his shirt had joined hers, one of his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling backwards while his free hand went back to drawing invisible lines on her back as he traced the linked design.

He smirked at the challenge as he watched her eyes dilate before him as she took in his more defined and built upper body as it flexed a certain way when he moved his arms; making it completely obvious that he wasn't a sixteen year old _boy_ anymore. _Hockey has done his body wonders. _She happily mused to herself as her fingers trailed over the defined contours of his muscles.

His fingers moved elegantly across her body, igniting a fiery path with his touch, as he moved from her tattoo back to her breasts. She let a moan escape from her as she automatically grinded her hip into his, causing Devon to growl just a bit before he leaned a bit forward to nuzzle her neck, allowing him to breathe in her scent before he kissed, nipped and sucked the skin just below the hickey he'd given her earlier. "God, you're more beautiful than I remember." He whispered into her ear causing the hunter to moan once again as her fingers trialed up his back, sending shivers down his own spine.

She loved the effect that Devon had on her yet she hated that it could _never_ be something more. They loved each other and they were perfect on every single level together as friends and as a couple yet it wasn't enough; they weren't _in love_ with each other. They both realized that about halfway through their time together in Toronto but they didn't want one trivial thing to be the reason to end something so great prematurely. They weren't looking for something serious, they wanted to have fun but in the back of both their minds (and they have mentioned it to each other before), they wished that they _could_ be in love with each other.

Casey leaned her head forward to whisper into his ear. "And we still have too many clothes on." She seductively stated and she could feel the rumble of a laugh emanating from his chest.

"That could easily change," was all the teenager said before the youngest Winchester started unbuttoning his pants while he started unzipping her heels as she remained straddled in his lap. Once Devon relieved Casey from her shoes, he reversed their positions, causing a slight squeal to be released from the brunette, as she now laid beneath him on the bed while he hovered above her as he slid her skirt off of her, leaving her in only her black lacy bra and panties.

The moonlight from the window cast a magnificent glow on the beautiful hunter beneath him and he couldn't resist the pull that he felt for her; a pull he knew would never truly go away after tonight. He was about to lower himself down and ravish her skin with more kisses but one pointed look from the hunter told him he wouldn't be able to do that unless he lost his pants…which he instantly did without hesitation once it dawned on him what she wanted (her eying that particular piece of clothing was hint enough for him) before he was granted the permission to lavish her body with his kisses.

They both smiled at each other as Devon, who was only in his boxers at this point, lowered himself down until his lips were mere centimeters away from hers. "How's this Miss. Winchester?" He teased with smirk.

She bit her lip as a few giggles escaped her. "A lot better Mr. McCloud." She played along as she slowly licked her lower lip.

He groaned as he stared longingly at her lips. "For the record, this has got to be the _best_ friendship I've ever had." He declared with a mischievous smirk but she could see it in his eyes that the statement didn't just end with friendship.

She snaked her arms around his neck as she slowly pulled him closer to her body. "To one hell of a friendship then!" She whispered excitedly just before she eliminated the distance between them and she gave him another bruising kiss.

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**Moments Earlier:**

"Dean wait up!" Sam Winchester shouted to his big brother as he tried to catch up with him as he cursed to himself for giving Dean that head start.

Dean wasn't listening as he continued to make his way through the backyard as he headed for the streets, his adrenaline still pumping at full speed. He needed complete visual proof that Ryan had left otherwise, he might actually go after that kid and pulverize him just for threatening his family _again_. The hunter hated that he couldn't punch the kid at least once for punching Casey in the past but Dean had enough sense in him to know that it wasn't the time or place for violence. He had to keep reminding himself that he promised Casey that he wouldn't get into trouble for the night and starting a fight would go against her one wish for the evening…plus Ryan wasn't something that they hunted down.

The hunter managed to reach the curb just in time to see Ryan drive down the street and away from the party, causing Dean to release a gratifying sigh as he watched the car get smaller and smaller as the distance between them increased.

A few moments later, Sam joined him at the curb with a slight pant due to the slight run he had to do to catch up with Dean faster. "What's with all the rushing?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I needed to make sure that prick left the party."

"Dean."

The oldest Winchester whipped his head around to give his brother a menacing glare, as his eyes basically told him to not mess with him at the moment. "Don't _Dean _me Sam." He growled out causing Sam to instantly put his hands up in a surrendering position. After seeing his brother's need for him to calm down, Dean groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose while he closed his eyes. "Unlike you, I'm making sure he keeps his deal with Casey." He explained through his gritted teeth as he inhaled deeply.

Sam sighed as he completely understood where Dean was coming from. "No matter how much you wanted to Dean, you couldn't have beaten that kid up."

Dean's eyes opened as he gave the tallest Winchester a questioning glare. "And why the hell not? It would prove to him _and_ to anyone else that they better not mess with us…especially Casey." He instinctively argued back, ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that kept reminding him that Sam was on _his _side when it came to Casey.

"It would have blown up in our faces Dean and you know it. You have to control your temper and _think _before you act." Sam stated as he walked closer to his brother so that he could give Dean's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Dean groaned as he was getting more frustrated with the fact that Sam had his emotions under control. _He's the one that's usually emotional about crap like this! _"You don't know what you're talking about."

Sam arched an eyebrow at Dean. "Don't I?" He teased his brother but Dean wasn't biting back as his shoulders tensed under Sam's grip.

"You weren't paying attention Sam."

Sam scoffed. "Of course I was." He retorted back as he removed his hand from Dean's shoulder.

Dean turned his head to look at his brother. "No you weren't because while you were making sure _I_ didn't screw things up-"

"That wasn't-"

"-_I_ was paying attention to what everyone else was saying and whenever Casey came up randomly…I didn't like what I was hearing Sam." Dean explained as he tried to keep his anger under control but Sam could see it in his brother's eyes the fury that was just beneath the surface and the sight alone made Sam gulp.

"Do I even want to know what they were saying about her?" Sam questioned in a whisper as his gaze moved straight to the ground.

Dean shook his head with a scowl playing on his lips. "It's ridiculous how teenagers treat each other. I mean here, Casey is practically the good Samaritan student with the highest morale who would do everything and anything to please everybody and yet she's ridiculed for it and she just takes it when she could easily kick all their asses and rule the school herself." He started ranting as his fury continued to grow to a point that his fists were shaking out of anger.

Sam brushed his hand through his shaggy brown hair. "She probably didn't retaliate as it would draw too much attention which would have led to so many questions she couldn't answer." He tried to justify their sister's lack-of-action but that didn't seem to simmer Dean down.

Dean growled as he started pacing in front of Sam. "Yeah but still Sam…with all the comments, no one took her beer pong game at face value. Everyone thinks something is off between her and Derek and they now think that her new wild-side is all for show. They think she's doing all of this since it's her last chance to be _cool_ among them." He stated as his voice grew louder and more menacing by the second as his whole body shook.

"Casey doesn't care about that and you shouldn't either Dean." Sam stated calmly as he watched Dean pace before him but his calm response only seemed to irritate Dean even more.

"I don't care but I don't like what they've been saying about her either." Dean protested as he threw his arms up for emphasis. He knew Casey could protect herself and that she wasn't a little girl anymore but his overprotective big brother instincts were kicked into overdrive at the thought that he couldn't be there for her during the last four years when she _had_ to deal with all this teenage crap that she had to go through alone.

Sam had enough of Dean's pacing at this point and it wasn't until the right moment did Sam intercept Dean's path as he gripped onto his big brother's shoulders tightly. He had to resist the urge to shake Dean back to reality where he was the cocky hunter that didn't give a damn about emotional situations while Sam remained the hunter that made it obvious that he had a conscience. Dean growled but Sam didn't back down as he waited for Dean to simmer down just a bit. When it looked like he was, Sam spoke some sense into his brother. "What difference does it make Dean? She's leaving with us at the end of the week to do something more meaningful and useful for the community while a majority of those graduates are gonna end up doing squat in comparison." He ended off with a smirk which got an amused chuckle out of Dean.

"Yeah you're right."

Sam's smirked widened at his brother's admission. "Of course I am." He gloated as he released his hold on Dean.

Dean arched his eyebrow at his brother as he dusted his shoulders off. "Well look who's being cocky now." He quipped as he composed himself while he silently berated himself for _losing_ it moments ago.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Well one of us has to be."

This time it was Dean's turn to smirk at his brother. "Touché brother."

There was a long yet comfortable silence between the brothers as they stared down Jason's mini-mansion as they could still hear the music that originated from the sound system inside. When he thought that his brother was cooled down enough, Sam turned his head to the side so that he could face Dean. "So did you hear anything _good _about Casey?"

Dean chuckled as his eyes remained on the mansion before him. "I heard many amusing stories involving both her _and_ Derek."

"Really?"

Dean chuckled again as he turned his head to face his brother. "Yup…apparently those two were the source of most of the drama at the school. Where one was, the other wasn't that far behind." He said in an amusing tone as he watched the gleam in Sam's eyes brighten at the prospect of learning more about the interesting dynamic between the pseudo-stepsiblings.

"Tell me more."

Dean smirked mischievous at his brother. "Gladly."

The Winchester brothers remained outside in the beautiful night as Dean recalled to Sam all the things he's heard that revolved around the class king and the class keener.

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**Meanwhile:**

After watching Casey disappear from his sight as she headed inside, Derek took his sweet time when it came to returning back to the party as he couldn't get what had happened moments ago out of his head. He didn't get why Sam and Dean helped him out, he didn't get why Ryan backed down so easily after they showed up and most importantly, he didn't understand what the hell had happened between him and Casey the moment they were alone together. It still boggled his mind that there was a possibility that they could have kissed and he was confused on how he felt about that possibility. Derek knew that the mere thought of kissing his annoying-as-hell keener stepsister should disgust him but oddly enough, it _didn't_ and that freaked him out even more.

_These types of thoughts were supposed to go away by now! _He thought angrily to himself as he thought back to their prom night when she asked him to unzip her dress or to the night they had to perform on television for the dance competition as he could still remember how she felt in his arms during both events. He groaned when the new thoughts of _tonight's_ Casey joined the others as she acted more like the type of girl that he _could_ see himself dating.

Derek's eyes widened when he realized his train of thought and he immediately smacked his forehead for even going there with his thoughts. _Do not go there you moron! She's your stepsister…she's forbidden…it's just the alcohol that's messing with your mind Venturi, that's all! _He reasoned with himself as he approached the back door to the mini-mansion.

He took a deep breath before he crossed the threshold; he barely flinched when the blaring music hit him as he made his way to the kitchen to grab another beer…or something much stronger, he wasn't sure at this point but he was definitely tempted.

He was a little on edge as he made his way through the crowd but no one was acting differently which caused the graduate to sigh in relief as it meant that no one was aware of his confrontation with Ryan. He didn't know what he'd do if anyone knew about that.

When Derek found the cooler with all the access beer bottles, he didn't hesitate in grabbing one, popping the lid off and guzzling down a few gulps of the alcohol, ignoring the burning in his throat that instantly formed the moment the new beverage reached his esophagus. If it was any other drink, he would have finished the bottle in one go but since it was alcohol that he was drinking, Derek had to slow himself down so he pulled the bottle away from his mouth before he let out a deep exhale.

Derek was about to take another few gulps of the liquid but he was interrupted when he was fiercely pulled back and twisted around by none other than…Alex as everyone else was right behind me.

Derek smirked. "Hey guys, what's up?" He stated before he drank another swig of his beer.

Alex glared at the graduate as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Cut the bullshit Derek."

"Yeah and tell us what happened." Tyler piped in as his eyes narrowed at Derek. They all knew that Derek had just been confronted by Ryan and they just wanted to know what happened without all of Derek's evasion tactics.

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion when he lowered his beer. _They can't know…can they? _"What are you talking about?"

Carter sighed when he noticed that Derek was genuinely confused. "We know you left with Ryan but you seemed to have no injuries on you." He elaborated after checking to make sure no one else was in earshot of them.

Derek scoffed. "Thanks for the support guys." He sarcastically bit back with an eye roll.

Sam shook his head from side to side as he gave his best friend a pointed look. "Plus Casey and the Winchesters raced out of here once they heard where you and Ryan were…so what gives D?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing."

Tyler's eyes narrowed as he watched Derek's behavior closely. "Meaning?"

Derek gave Tyler an irritated look before he answered. "Meaning nothing…_nothing_ happened." He firmly stated before taking another much needed gulp of his beer.

Alex rolled his eyes, clearly frustrated that he wasn't hearing the stuff that he _wanted_ to listen to. "Well obviously but we wanna know _why_."

"And why would you care if I was or wasn't involved in something tonight?" Derek retorted back instantly as his mind was just itching for a fight after being deprived of it twice that night as Ryan was _scared _away and his bet with Casey prevented him from engaging in any of their usual verbal spars with her for the night.

Alex smirked as he was pleased with his friend's response. "I'm more curious as to _why_ Casey and the Winchesters had to rush out there like your life _depended_ on it." He elaborated as he made sure to emphasis the point that Casey and the Winchesters were _worried_ for _him_. The roommates would have easily brushed her urgency off as a family-helping-family thing but the fact that the brothers weren't that far behind her or the expressions the three of them had told the roommates otherwise since they hadn't seen that look on Casey's face before.

Derek scoffed as he waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Now you're just exaggerating. Ryan just wanted to talk, no big deal."

"And Casey?" Emily questioned, speaking for the first time since Derek returned from the backyard.

"As always, she's making sure I don't get my ass into some serious trouble." Derek explained in an irritated tone before taking another gulp of his beer.

"And the Winchesters?" Tyler added in since no one else seemed to want to bring them up.

"Looking out for Casey…I mean, it is pretty obvious that they are protective over her, right?" Derek pointed out bitterly as he looked among his friends who, after some hesitation, started to nod their heads in agreement. They couldn't really argue against that logic after the night they've had with them.

Carter sighed. "I guess you have a point."

Derek smirked triumphantly. "Of course I do. Any of them return yet?" He questioned as he gave a lazy scan over his surroundings but he had a feeling that he wouldn't see any of them yet.

"No." Sam answered and he couldn't help but think that it was odd that neither Casey nor the Winchesters returned yet they left their sights before Derek.

Derek nodded his head in acceptance as he took the final swig of his beer. "Okay then, now if you all don't mind, I'd rather get back to partying, now who's with me?" He declared in a tone that screamed the end of the discussion before he extended the invitation to the group.

Everyone slowly nodded in agreement before they followed Derek to the kitchen to grab some more drinks. They then made their way to the _games room_ (or the _dance room_) for some more fun.

Even with Derek's newfound determination to enjoy his final high school party to its fullest, he couldn't help but wonder _where_ Devon was at the moment since he wasn't among the group of friends that _welcomed _him back moments ago.

* * *

**One-Two Hours Later:**

The sounds of the party below continued on like it had when they ascended the stairs to the room where they both were now laying naked in each other's arms as they tried to regulate their breathing once again.

Devon laid flat on the bed with Casey on top of him, her head resting right against his heart, as he was still inside her as they both didn't want to move from their positions. Fingers from one hand played with her tousled hair as fingers from his other hand ghosted up and down her back as if he was playing the piano on her spine.

The sensation alone sent shivers throughout Casey's body as she listened to the erratic beating of Devon's heart, the only sound that mattered to her, as he slowly inhaled and exhaled with her while her hand brushed up and down his abdomen repeatedly. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he calmed his breathing, she could still feel his feather-like touch as he continued to draw patterns all over her skin but most of all; she could still feel his covered length inside her heated core and she couldn't help but smile at the feeling he gave her. She was still coming down from the multiple highs that Devon had given her and while she calmed herself down, she seriously couldn't figure out _why_ she had waited so long. _Three years…_

She sighed, causing Devon to open his eyes and lightly tug a strand of her hair to grab her attention. When she shifted her body a bit to better face him, Devon had to bite back a groan.

"You okay?" He asked as he looked into her eyes as her arms were crossed over his chest yet resting under her chin.

Casey smiled as she leaned herself forward. "Amazing," is all she said before giving the guy beneath her another passionate kiss. "I just can't believe I've waited that long…I forgot how fun it could be." She quipped when she pulled back a bit but Devon could still feel her warm breath on his mouth.

Devon's eyes widened as he pushed up a bit so that he his arms were supporting him. "You mean you haven't-" He questioned as Casey had to pull back a bit, completely exposing her upper body to him as they remained connected.

Casey shook her head while holding back her shy smile. "Nope."

"But that was-" Devon couldn't believe it. He was still speechless because if she hadn't said a thing, he would have thought that she had gotten some action while she was in London because come on, Casey was highly attractive so it was hard to believe that no one would want to have sex with her but here she was, still straddling his lap as he was still inside her, admitting that the last time she's had sex was with _him_ three years ago. _How the hell had she refrained from sex for the past three years? _He mused to himself as he remembered when they were _together_ they had a normal sex life for a couple of teenagers as it had gotten to the point where they were _really_ comfortable with each other. They even did some things that hadn't even crossed their minds when they were sixteen so he assumed that she had picked up a few things. _Boy, was I wrong. _

Casey wrapped her arms around Devon's neck as he was still deep in thought. She had a slight idea what he might have been thinking about but then again, she didn't want to make assumptions.

Devon looked into the hazel-green eyes of his best friend. "Why?"

Casey knew what he meant but she only shrugged while his hands went back to her hips as he started drawing circles on them. "I figured those that knew the _real_ me should be the only ones that got to _see_ all of me at this point." He nodded again in understand before he kissed her collarbone. Casey moaned at the touch. "Besides, here I'm the goody-goody daughter who viewed sex as something I should first experience on my wedding night." She could feel the rumble of his laugh in his chest as he still continued his assault on her skin, placing gentle kisses up her neck, then along her jawbone before his lips made contact with hers. Her fingers threaded through his hair as the kiss slowly intensified.

They both pulled away for some air but they still kept their eye contact with one another. "I really wish it could be different between us Cay." He stated with a sigh with a defeated look in his eyes.

Casey smiled before capturing Devon's lips once again in a chaste kiss. "Me too Devon, me too." Casey truly meant it; she wished that she'd feel romantic love with Devon McCloud but it just wasn't in the cards for them. When they were together, they'd got mistaken for being the couple that will go the distance but strangers never knew that the two involved knew that wasn't going to be the case. Sometimes, Casey didn't get it. Devon was absolutely perfect for her in every aspect she could possibly think of and everything was there; trust, love, chemistry, passion, acceptance…you name it. While Casey loved Devon (and vice versa), she was _in love_ with Derek Venturi (a feeling she still had a hard time accepting at times).

Devon sighed as his thoughts were still trying to figure out why he couldn't feel more towards his best friend. He quickly snapped out of it as his hands started to move so that they could rub designs on her lower back (over her flaming pentagram tattoo) and on her ribcage just off to the side of her right breast where her second tattoo was located.

The tattoo was small enough and in the perfect spot so that her bra strap would cover it up (it was the reason why he couldn't see the tattoo until he discarded her bra earlier) and at first he didn't understand why she'd want a tattoo there but when he saw _what_ was tattooed there, she didn't have to explain it to him. While the tattoo on her back needed an explanation, the second one did not as it was a tattoo of her family name, in cursive, with the first initials of her family members surrounding it. **(A/N: Check my LJ master list for link to tattoo picture…my own creation). **

Casey found the movement over her inked designs quite soothing. "Think our absence has been noticed?" He questioned with a little mischief in his blue eyes as he playfully smacked her butt.

Casey giggled with a negative shake of her head before Devon flipped them over so that her back was pressed into the bed. He gave her another intense kiss before he pulled out of her with a groan. The hunter slowly got up from the bed as she searched for their undergarments as the hockey player dealt with the used condom. When he returned from the connected bathroom, Casey was already in her lacy bra and panties when she threw his boxers at him. He smirked at her before putting them on as she gathered their clothes up.

"Probably not…at first. I wouldn't put it past my brothers to realize that I've _disappeared_ with you." She declared with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she got dressed. Once she had her jean shirt and halter top back on her body, she sat on the bed to put her heeled boots back on.

Devon smirked at her words as he worked on getting his own clothes back on. "Should I be worried?"

Casey took a moment to think; causing Devon to squirm a bit at her possible answer. "As long as Sam stands between you and Dean, you shouldn't have a problem." She deadpanned after she zipped up her last boot before she headed over to the vanity mirror to fix her appearance to not look like she just had some amazing long-overdue sex with her best friend.

Devon had finished buttoning up his shirt when she mentioned her brothers and he couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. He hoped that she was because he really didn't want two overprotective hunting brothers to be furious with him for sleeping with their sister. When he straightened himself up, he walked to the vanity mirror to join Casey in making sure that they looked presentable.

While Devon tended to fix his hair, which was indeed messy due to the countless times that she ran her fingers through his hair, Casey fixed her makeup (she was completely thankful that she had thought to keep the items in her leather jacket's pockets). She was on to fixing her hair by redoing it again when Devon spoke. "And what about Derek?"

Casey gave him a questioning glance through the mirror as she ran her fingers through her hair before putting it in the half up-half down hairdo she had before. "What about Derek?" She nonchalantly asked, never taking her focus off of her reflection as she worked on her hair.

Devon groaned as he turned to face his best friend with his arms across his chest. "Oh c'mon Casey, I don't have to know you or Derek to know that there is _something_ between you two." He protested as he watched her finish up with her hair.

She turned to face him with an emotionless expression before she turned to the bed. "There is nothing going on between us." She stated as she moved to one side of the bed as he mimicked her moves to go to the other side as they worked together to straighten out the bedding…repeating the familiar routine one last time.

Devon rolled his eyes. "It definitely didn't seem like that tonight Cay, especially not with the way you two are with each other or with all the jealous glares I was getting from him tonight. Derek may be a good friend of mine but I felt like he wanted to rip me apart." He rambled on as he mentioned a few observations with a sincere tone because he didn't want her to think that she couldn't talk to him about this stuff…especially if it involved Derek.

Casey stopped what she was doing as she gave Devon an incredulous look, not believing that they were even _talking_ about it. "That's ridiculous. Why would he be jealous?" She asked before she went back to fixing up her side of the room but he heard the confusion that was laced in her question.

He stopped in his actions as he watched her. _Does she really not know?_

Devon sighed. "He _wants_ you Casey. I've known him long enough to know when he truly wants someone or not." He confessed and he was satisfied when he saw her freeze in her spot but unfortunately for him, her back was towards him so he wasn't able to see her eyes dilate out of shock.

"But I'm just his stepsister…nothing could ever happen." She interjected before she placed the finishing touches on her side as it looked exactly like it had when they first entered the room.

Devon finished off his side before he answered. "You and I both know that's not true. For you, he's not but to Derek, you're the stepsister he can't have so he _won't_ make a move because he thinks you're _forbidden_." He tried to explain as he made his way around to her side of the bed.

"Forbidden." Casey repeated the word as if the reasoning never crossed her mind as she slid down the closest wall to her.

Devon sighed as he saw her settle down on the floor and he moved to join her. He remembered how she would only react like this if she received news that was too unbelievable for her to process all at once (which is tough since she's a _supernatural _hunter who's constantly exposed to weird stuff).

He waited as the only sound between them was the music that was coming from downstairs. "He's the one, isn't he Cay?" He whispered into her ear as he put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Casey sighed, finding no use in denying anything from Devon anymore…no matter how awkward it might be for her to talk about it with him. "I wouldn't know Devon. I wish I knew but I don't." She sadly admitted as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"But you want to?"

"But I _can't_." She whispered and just hearing her so defeated broke Devon's heart. He pulled her closer towards him as he placed a comforting kiss in her hair.

"Casey, what if he is the one you've always been talking about? Are you just gonna walk away without knowing for sure?" He softly asked as he remembered their many talks in the beginning about destinies, soulmates and other topics like that. Personally, he wouldn't breech the subject but he wanted to know what a hunter's perspective was to those concepts as well as some others and Casey had an opinion for pretty much anything. She would have a different thought for specific scenarios like she's always been a believer in free will but when it came to the subject on soulmates, she believed in destiny when it came to that aspect. It both intrigued yet confused the boy every time it was brought up between them but it always amazed him how she would get so caught up in the explanation every time she'd say it.

Casey shrugged her shoulders a bit, making sure she wouldn't accidently shrug Devon's arm off her shoulder. "I don't have a choice. I either go on the road and I leave him behind or I stay here and maintain the stepsister facade. Either way I lose." She pointed out as she tried to figure how exactly she had gotten from feeling like she was on the top of the world to feeling like she was a social reject because of _one_ guy.

"I say try."

Devon's suggestion snapped Casey out of her thoughts as she turned her head to face him. "What?"

He smirked before he explained himself. "Before you go back to hunting, find out if Derek is really the one you've been looking for. Otherwise, you'd be thinking _what if_ the whole time."

She could feel her nose scrunch up out of confusion. "How?" She asked as she truly didn't know _how_ to do what he suggested. If it were any other guy, Casey would know instantly what to do but since it was _Derek_, she knew she couldn't do what she'd normally do due to the complicated history between them.

"Don't experts say that it usually takes only a kiss to figure out if there is something more between two people? Or something like that." He pointed out as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand.

"I…guess."

"So just kiss him." He stated as if it were no big deal or anything like that.

Casey groaned. "Easier said than done." She mumbled under her breath as she stared at her feet but she knew that he heard her due to the rumble she felt emanating from his chest as he tried to stifle his laughter. She smacked his chest, stopping the rumbling within his chest immediately. They sat there in silence (apart from the music coming from downstairs) as he gave her time to absorb all that was said when it pertain to Derek. He thought she was handling it all fine until he heard her exhale deeply. "Are you mad at me?" He heard her whisper and he wasn't entirely sure why she would ask him them.

He took a few moments to think about it and when he came up with nothing, he asked her. "Why would I be mad?"

She nervously bit her lip since she didn't want to say it…she was kind of hoping that he would just _know_ like all the other times. "Because I didn't tell you that the suppressed feelings were for Derek."

He contemplated that for a moment. _Was I mad? _He kept asking himself that and to his surprise, he truly wasn't mad at all. He had his suspicions all night about his two friends and she was upfront about having feelings for someone else in the beginning. If he thought about it, he was more surprised that she actually _admitted_ to him that she liked Derek because usually it would take her days before he got her comfortable enough to confess to something as…private as this to him. **(A/N: Remember that Devon's referring to a time when Casey was still trying to learn to trust people outside of Sam, Dean, John and Bobby).**

Devon sighed as he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You told me about having the feelings in the first place which is enough for me but I get why you kept his identity a secret."

"You do?" She asked as she turned to face him.

Devon nodded. "You didn't know how I'd react since I'm also his friend too but I get it Casey. I get the suppression, I get the hesitation and I now understand that crazy dynamic you two share together." He ended with a small chuckle as he remembered all the different dynamics that he saw between Casey and Derek that night.

Casey giggled. "Really because I may need some outside insight on that." She quipped as she played with her silver charm bracelet.

He snickered at her remark before he sobered up. "Just know that he feels _something_ for you Casey. He may not know _what_ it is at the moment but he does feel something and the fact that he thinks you're his stepsister will only make it harder for him to realize and accept whatever feelings he has towards you." He explained as he remembered how Derek was during their drive to the party earlier.

Casey nodded her head in understanding. "What do I do then?"

Devon smiled as his free hand moved to cup her cheek. "Be _you_ Casey. If he has feelings for this high-maintenance façade that I've heard so much about in passing-" He immediately got a small smack to his chest for the jibe but he just laughed it off before he continued, "-then there is no doubt in my mind that he _will_ fall for the real you too."

She smiled as she gave him a chaste kiss on his lips which he didn't mind. They still got until they separated at the end of the night which was when their arrangement as _best friends with benefits_ would officially come to an end.

"You truly are amazing Devon."

Devon smirked. "I know." He stated with a cocky tone before he made a move to stand up. He brushed off his pants and he quickly straightened himself up before he offered his hand out to Casey, who still remained seated against the wall. "Now how about we get back to the party before your brothers decide to pound me."

She smirked. "Okay." She stated as she grabbed his hands, enabling him to pull her up off the floor. When she was firmly on the ground and stable, Devon released her hands so that she could straighten herself up while he took a final scan of the guestroom.

When everything was as it was when they arrived, Casey made a grab for her leather jacket as she put it on while Devon looked for a pen and paper, which he gave to Casey since she knew what to write. Whenever they used a room at a party, they would always leave a note in the host's room to tell them their thanks and which room they had used (so it could be thoroughly cleaned later). The duo would also leave some cash with the note (it was the least they could do), which was why Devon was getting out his wallet while Casey wrote the note. He didn't know how much they would give this time but since he figured it was the last hoorah for them, Devon took out a bit more than usual. He was pleased when Casey gave him an approving nod before she gave him the note to check over as she reached inside her jacket pocket for her wallet to match his payment (using some of the winnings she collected from Alex earlier). He signed their names (they always signed it _C&D_) with the automatic '_keep this between us_' footer at the end before he placed their joined payments into the folded note.

Devon was just about to walk down the hallway to slide their note under Jason's door but she stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned to give her a quizzical look which turned into pure confusion when Casey had reached into her back pocket of her jean skirt to retrieve a paper clip. Devon was too stunned to realize that she took the note out of his hands so that she could use the paper clip to firmly attach the bills to the note.

"Do I even want to know?" He questioned before she left the room. When she immediately didn't answer, due to her not knowing what he was referring to exactly, Devon gestured to the paper clip which caused her to chuckle just a bit.

"It comes with the job. You never know when you need to get out of a tight situation." She cryptically told him with a wink before she headed towards Jason's bedroom.

Devon snickered as handcuffs easily came to mind as he scanned the room one last time to make sure they didn't forget anything before he turned the nightstand's lamp off, grabbed the key from the nightstand and walked out the door before he locked it. When the door was firmly secured, Casey returned just in time to return the key back to its original hiding spot (Devon's eyes remained shut once again).

The best friends quickly scanned each other over to see if they were presentable before she grabbed his hand again as she led him to the back staircase as they headed back down to the graduation party.

* * *

It was about an hour after Derek had joined back up with his friends did Sam and Dean join back up with them again but he didn't care. All Derek could think about was Casey and wondering where the hell she and Devon were at the moment. As he nursed another beer, aimlessly watching his friends hang around the pool table as they took their turns, Derek couldn't rid himself of the thoughts that consisted of Casey and Devon.

_Where are they? What are they doing together? _

The second thought bugged him (for a reason he didn't want to think about) because he didn't know how far Casey and Devon's relationship went. He knew they kissed a lot so they could be off making out with each other but was that all that they were doing? Derek shook his head at the ridiculous thought of Casey going any further than making out with some guy…this was still his keener stepsister with her high morale when it came to the physical aspects of a relationship that he was thinking about…right?

As Derek was knee-deep in his thoughts, he didn't realize that he had a pair of eyes that belonged to a hunter that was watching his every move. Sam Winchester observed Derek from across the pool table and he was happy to conclude that the graduate was conflicted about something and the hunter wasn't hesitant in thinking that the confliction had something to do with his sister's whereabouts.

When they had joined up with Casey's friends after their long yet enlightening discussion outside, it didn't take long for either brother to notice that their sister wasn't anywhere near her friends. At first they thought that she could be off dancing but when Dean went to check, he returned with a disappointed look on his face that instantly told Sam that she wasn't there. It didn't take long after that for the hunters to deduce that their sister was off with Devon, her best friend/ex-boyfriend. Dean didn't know how he felt about that but Sam reasoned with him that she probably needed to clear some things up with him before the night ended. When Dean had questioned Sam about what _types_ of things would she need to discuss with Devon alone, all Sam had to do was look at Derek for Dean to get the message. Nothing more was discussed between the brothers as they focused on the people that their sister had deemed as her friends during her stay in Ontario.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It was an hour and a half later that Casey and Devon appeared, hand in hand, as they approached their friends just when Derek and Alex were playing a game against Carter and Sam while Emily and Tyler stood off to the side with the Winchester brothers as they watched the game. Sam and Dean didn't have to look up as they could feel that their sister was approaching them.

"Look who decided to show up." Dean quipped with his arms crossed over his chest as his words drew everyone's attention to the approaching couple.

Casey scoffed. "You're back to your old _charming_ self again I see Dean." She bantered back as she stopped to stand right beside her oldest brother while she held Devon's hand.

Dean nodded to Devon as a greeting before he gave his sister a mischievous smirk. "If you'd like, I could go back to feeling the need to punch someone until their unconscious." She gave him a playful glare which caused the older hunter to laugh. "You're choice Princess." He teased before he turned his attention back to the pool game and he was satisfied once again when he noticed that Derek's attention seemed to be on Casey. _Interesting. _

Casey rolled her eyes as she watched Alex take his shot. "Don't beat someone up on my account Dean. You know I could perfectly do that on my own." She cockily retorted back to him, ignoring all the quizzical expressions that were aimed at her by the friends that didn't know anything about her true past.

Dean laughed as he nodded in agreement. "I'm well aware of that, I just don't see you doing that in what you're currently wearing right now." He commented as he gave her a quick once over just to prove his point.

Casey nodded her head in agreement since he did have a point as high heels and a jean shirt weren't really good choices when it came to the possibility of fighting or running for your life. "Observation noted."

Dean nodded his head, knowing that would be the end of _that_ discussion of theirs.

Sam looked between his siblings, making sure they were completely done with their bantering before he spoke. "So where were you guys?"

Devon shrugged his shoulders as he felt Casey squeeze his hand. "We just had some last things to discuss, do a little catch up and whatnot." He simply stated before ending his gaze on Casey and she could see the little twinkle in his eyes that let her know what exactly he was thinking about.

Dean noticed how Derek's grip on his pool cue had tightened as he waited off to the side which prompted the hunter to turn his head just in time to see the look Devon was giving Casey. "Is that so?" He stated in a mischievous tone that instantly got him a light smack in the back of the head from Sam.

Dean turned to glare at Sam as he rubbed the back of his head but he could tell by his younger brother's expression that he needed to cut it out…again. Dean groaned at the thought since Sam seemed to be reprimanding him a lot tonight. _That needs to stop now. _

Casey tried to stifle her giggles as she watched the scene between her brothers and when she thought she had composed herself enough, she spoke, just when Carter sunk the eight ball into one of the corner pockets. "So what did we miss?"

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

For the next two hours, the group took turns switching up the teams as they played pool amongst each other. At times, some of them wandered off to either get another drink, to mingle a bit or to grab a dance before they returned to the group while the ones that stayed behind listened intently to all the trips down memory lane that they all shared whether it involved the childhood memories of the hockey players present or it was about some of the shenanigans that they got involved in when Casey was back in Toronto.

Everyone seemed to be having a blast, even the hunters that were robbed the simplest things, like these moments, found themselves having fun with these particular teenagers. The Winchesters could see how happy their sister was in Devon's arms as she laughed with her friends or singing along to the songs Deejay Rick played (she was really getting into _"Last Friday Night"_ at one point) and they couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her mind at the moment…was she having second thoughts? And every time they thought they had the answer, she would beam that smile of hers towards them, making the hunters forget about their doubts because she wasn't just smiling and laughing as if she was having the time of her life with her friends…it was because she had all the people she cared about with her; she had her brothers, she had Devon, Derek, Emily and the rest of the guys with her and she couldn't be more thrilled in that moment.

The youngest Winchester felt like she was on top of the world but that all seemed to end when she heard Devon groan right behind her as he leaned his head down on her shoulder as his grip around her waist tightened. Her brow furrowed out of confusion as she turned her head to the side to face him while her hands covered his. "Dev, what's wrong?"

He sighed. "It's almost 1:00am."

She gave him another confused expression when she didn't see the significance of the time. "And?"

"We gotta go now." He told her with a sad smile causing the youngest Winchester to jut her lower lip out in a pout.

"Didn't take you as a curfew type of guy Devon." Dean quipped as he came up beside them.

Devon groaned. "I'm not."

"Then why do you need to leave now?" Dean countered as he took in his sister's depressed look, a look he didn't like seeing on her face.

Devon lifted his head off of Casey's shoulders as he gave Dean a defeated look. "It's a two hour drive back home Dean."

"He's got a point. I'm supposed to have the car back by 3:30am." Carter interjected as he approached them.

Dean shook his head from side to side. "Now _that_ blows."

Carter nodded his head in agreement to the older man's statement. "Tell me about it."

A groan was heard close by to the four and when they turned their attention back to the table, they realize that it was Alex that made the frustrated sound. "Fine, lets get going then." He stated as he placed his pool cue onto the table before he made his way for the front door.

There was no hesitation as everyone else followed Alex's lead as they headed for the front of the mini-mansion. Along the way they had ran into Jason so everyone had given him a heads up that they were heading out now. He wished them all good luck in the future and he suggested a game of hockey together sometime in the future. All the hockey players nodded before they resumed their journey to the front yard.

Emily and the Winchesters were trailing behind a bit to allow for Derek and Sam to say goodbye to their university friends first. Many fist bumps were exchanged between the six of them, followed by the usual one-arm-man-hug thing that guys usually do as their version of a goodbye.

"Next time you're in Toronto, visit us this time." Alex suggested with a pointed look directed at Derek.

Derek laughed at the reminder. "I'll be sure to do that." He stated, earning an approving nod from the goalie.

"Are you sure you guys are okay to drive tonight?" Sam questioned worriedly as he looked between his friends.

Tyler shrugged his shoulder. "Carter drank nothing but soda…we'll be fine." He stated as he gave Carter a firm pat on the shoulder.

Carter rolled his eyes before he made his way towards Casey, who was now just standing a few feet behind Derek and Sam. "Casey." He instantly pulled her into his arms as he gave her a giant hug. "It was great seeing you again." He whispered into her ear as he felt her arms tighten around his waist as she returned the hug.

"You too Carter. Take care of yourself okay." She stated as she pulled back a bit so that she could look him in the eye.

Carter gave his dear friend a beaming smile. "Same goes for you Case."

Casey nodded her head. "I will." She stated before pulling out of his arms.

Carter closed the gap between them as he placed a gentle kiss on Casey's forehead; just like he had done when he said goodbye to her in Toronto. "Don't be a stranger Casey." He said as he pulled back, seeing the sad smile on her face as she nodded her head. He reached out to give her arm a final squeeze before he walked off in the direction he had parked the car earlier.

"He's right Case, don't be a stranger." Tyler piped in as he made his way towards the brunette.

Casey smirked as she placed her hands on her hips. "Is that your way of telling me you're gonna miss me Ty?" She quipped.

Tyler playfully shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not." He teased before he pulled Casey into his arms for a hug of his own. "I'll miss you." He whispered and Casey had to fight the urge to cry as these goodbyes were definitely breaking through her well-constructed walls.

She pulled back before she said anything. "I'll miss you too." She declared before she gave Tyler a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"That's the best I'm gonna get right?" He asked, earning himself a light smack in the shoulder as she gave him a narrowed look. Tyler chuckled as he held his hands up as if he were surrendering to her. "Hey, just checking!" He stated as he slowly backed away from the hunter. She rolled her eyes before a smile broke out on her lips, earning herself a few chuckles from Tyler before he joined up with Carter.

She watched Tyler's retreating form reach the sidewalk before she turned to face the final two hockey players.

Alex slowly made his way towards Casey, not really sure what to say to her this time as their last goodbye consisted of a few head nods and a handshake. "You know I never meant to hurt you." He declared as he stood right in front of her, so close that the tips of their shoes were touching.

Casey nodded. "I know Alex."

He had to fight the urge to cup her face in the palms of his hands as he felt like an honest confession would be his way to say goodbye to her. "I would have done things so much differently back then Casey. I _never_ wanted us to end on a bad note." He whispered in hopes that she would be the only one to hear his words…he did still have a reputation to maintain after all.

She gave him a lopsided smile as she looked him in the eyes. "Well, now we're leaving it on a good note."

Alex grinned at her before he spread his arms apart and she didn't hesitate in crashing into his body to give him the hug they'd never admit that they missed. He squeezed her tightly in his arms as he moved to plant a kiss on her forehead. "You're definitely one of a kind Casey and whoever snags you is gonna be one lucky guy." She could feel his cool breath caress the spot he had kissed her moments ago when he made his declaration.

"And you'll find your girl…once you stop breezing through them like you're in a race to get with them all." She stated with an arched eyebrow specifically aimed for the last part of her statement as she pulled back to look at his face.

He smirked down at her as his hands moved to her hips. "Well how else am I supposed to find her?" He questioned with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrow followed by a playful wink.

Casey gave a mock gasp as she pushed back against Alex's chest. "You're unbelievable!"

Alex laughed. "You're not so bad yourself." He bantered back and he was pleased to see her own smirk plastered on her face. "Take care McDonald."

She gave him a curt nod before she said her final goodbye to her ex-frenzy-fling. "You too Johnston."

Alex gave her and everyone else a two finger mock salute before he went to join up with Carter and Tyler. He didn't have to go that far since they were waiting for him across the street in their car (Carter was fast enough to drive the car back to where everyone was by the time Tyler reached the curb).

She watched as Alex got into Carter's car, not completely aware that Devon was slowly coming up beside her.

"Now why am I always the last to say anything?" Devon quipped before he turned to her which was when he took notice of the lone tear streaking down her cheek.

"Because no matter what, I will _always_ cry when I say goodbye to _you_." She admitted with a shaky voice as she turned to face Devon as more silent tears fell from her eyes.

Devon immediately closed the distance between them as he placed his palms on her cheeks as his thumbs brushed away her tears. "Hey, you were doing fine just now." He softly told her as he felt her hands wrap around his wrists as she pulled his hands down and away from her face.

She sniffled. "It's just hitting me now that I may never see you or them again Devon." She explained as she looked her best friend in the eyes as best as she could since her vision was starting to become a watery blur.

The look in her eyes and the words that left her lips broke Devon's heart and he couldn't stand her thinking like that, not now not ever. He leaned forward so that their foreheads touched with his hands resting on her shoulders. "Hey, don't think like that. We'll see each other again."

"You don't know that." She mumbled as her eyes closed shut.

Devon pulled back and squeezed her shoulders to make her open her eyes. When his blues eyes met her hazel-green ones, he spoke with such conviction that he could persuade anyone into his line of thinking. "Yes I do. You may be going out to finish what your father started but you _will_ be back Casey…I have faith in that."

"Really?" She questioned as she hoped that his words were true. It wasn't that Casey didn't want to go back onto the road (she couldn't wait to go hunting again), it's just that she was afraid that she'd never be given the chance to see the important people she's met during her stay in Ontario again.

He smiled when he saw that hopeful glint in her eyes once again. "Yes and it's not like you'll be out there on your own. You have Sam, Dean, your father and my uncle to back you up when you need it." He reassured her, even though the roles should be reversed for this type of conversation.

She nodded as she rubbed the tear streaks on her cheeks away. "I guess so."

Devon chuckled when he saw her missing a few stray tears so he helped her out. "Just promise me two things." He piped in after all the tears seemed to be gone from her face.

"Okay, what?"

"One; you update me every chance you get either through email, a phone call, a text or a web-chat, I don't care as long as I get to hear from _you_ and know that you're okay." He stated firmly as he ticked off all her communication options from his hand.

She giggled a bit but she couldn't help but agree to that promise. "Done."

Devon smiled triumphantly before he continued to the next promise. "Good and number two; you come back no matter what for your twenty-first birthday because I refuse to miss anymore of my best friend's milestones...missing your eighteen birthday was enough." He said in a tone that meant no room for a disagreement.

She sighed since that promise was two years from now. "I'll try."

He shook his head from side to side, not liking the hesitance he heard in her answer. "No…you will be back here or I'm coming to you to celebrate, it's your choice but either way, I'm seeing you in person for _that_ birthday."

She could see the challenging look in his eyes as if he was daring her to call him out on his bluff but she knew that he wasn't bluffing; if she didn't go see him, he would find a way to find her and go to see her. "Okay, I promise." The hunter stated with a sigh before she gave him a small smile.

"Good." He whispered before he pulled her into his body for a bone-crushing hug that she returned with full force. He whispered his new cell number into her ear, knowing that she's memorize it instantly due to her eidetic memory before the silence enveloped them. They stayed like that for a bit; Devon's chin now resting on her head while Casey's face was burrowed into his chest as silent tears started to roll down her cheeks once again. "I guess this is the end then." He dejectedly stated in a whisper, not truly believing that this was truly it for them.

She sighed as the same thought that passed through his mind made an appearance in hers. "I guess so." She stated strongly as she discreetly brushed away the tears before she pulled back yet still remaining in Devon's arms.

He raised his hand as he brushed his knuckles down her cheek and along her jawbone. "One more for old time's sake?" He stated with an arched eyebrow, causing her to giggle a bit.

"You do realize that you're using that phrase too much tonight." She teased as she stepped closer to him.

"I know." He stated with a grin before he lowered himself down as he closed the gap between them as he gave her one last passionate kiss between them because after that, they were no longer _best friends with benefits_. They were just best friends who wished that things could have been different between them.

A few moments after Casey had deepened the kiss between them, they could hear someone clearing their throat in hopes of grabbing the kissing couple's attention. They slowly pulled apart and when they turned to where the sound originated from, they came face to face with Dean. The older Winchester was a lot closer to them now with his arms crossed over his chest as he gave them an amused yet challenging look…far less terrifying than the one he gave them earlier at _Hunter's Bar and Grill_.

"Sorry, got carried away." Devon explained with a sheepish grin as his arms were still wrapped around Casey's waist.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Just don't make it a habit in front of us."

Devon scratched the back of his neck as he let out a nervous laugh. "It won't happen again."

Dean smirked, very pleased with the boy's answer. "Good."

Sam rolled his eyes as he passed Dean to approach Devon. "Take care of yourself Devon." The hunter told the younger man as they shook hands.

Devon smiled. "You too. Look out for her for me?" He asked as he looked from Sam to Dean.

Dean moved to join his brother's side. "You don't even have to ask." The older hunter stated as he shook Devon's hand. The teenager seemed to be gaining more of Dean's silent approval due to the unhindered concern he had when it came to the youngest Winchester…something Dean was very pleased in seeing.

"It was great meeting you guys." Devon stated just as he ended his hand shake with Dean.

Sam gave the teenager a curt nod of his head. "You too Devon."

Devon smiled before he turned to head towards the car. He made a quick detour to Casey to give her another hug before he returned to his original path.

"Yo, McCloud!" Dean shouted out after Devon took two steps away from Casey.

Devon stopped in his tracks and he turned around with a confused look on his face. "Yeah?"

Dean had a mischievous smile on his face before he shouted his forgotten thought at the teenager. "Call Bobby up. Maybe it'll loosen the old man up to hear from you and I won't have to hear him call me an _idjit_ any time soon."

Devon laughed. "Alright but I wouldn't get my hopes up, my uncle's been calling everyone _idjit_ for as long as I could remember." He shouted playfully, earning himself three smiles from the hunters.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Dean stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

Devon shook his head out of amusement. "No you can't." He stated before he closed the distance between him and Casey once again as he placed a kiss to her temple. "Bye Cay."

Casey sighed. "Bye Devon."

Devon turned to the rest of them as he waved goodbye before he jogged to the car where Carter, Tyler and Alex were waiting. Once he jumped into the car, Carter didn't hesitate to pull out of his spot as he sped down the road while his roommates waved to their friends.

Casey watched the first group of friends she's ever had drive off into the darkness as more silent tears fell from her eyes.

Sam and Dean looked to each other before they headed towards Casey as they felt the need to be there for their sister. Sam's hand easily slipped into Casey's as he gave her hand a comforting squeeze like he always did when they were kids. She gave a tearful smile at the sight of their hands before she looked up at Sam just when she felt Dean's arms wrap around her neck from behind. Her free hand instantly covered Dean's as they hovered over her collarbone as she shifted her gaze a bit from Sam to Dean.

"You okay Baby Girl?" Dean asked even though he could clearly see the tear tracks down her cheeks.

She nodded her head as she gave her brothers a watery smile. "Yeah, I think it's time to go home now." She mumbled a bit yet her voice still wavered just a bit.

"If that's what you want." Sam softly told her as he drew soft circles on the back of her hand like he did in the past when he would need to calm her down.

It may have been awhile since Sam and Dean had been physically present to give their sister comfort but it seemed like their techniques from the past still worked on her. Sam remembered that Dean would sit on the couch with Casey sitting between his legs. He would wrap his arms around her waist to keep her in place as his head rested on her shoulder while Sam would sit cross-legged beside Dean as he held Casey's hand as he talked adamantly in hopes to provide the distraction that Casey needed. The routine was familiar during the time before Casey knew about the supernatural world as the times she would _need_ the comforting gestures the most were when she would discover that their father wouldn't be home when he said he would be.

"It is." Casey's shaky voice brought Sam out of his memory, causing him to only nod to show that he heard her.

Dean shook his head against Casey's shoulder before he straightened up "Alright." He stated before he focused his attention on the three graduates that stood a few feet behind them. "Derek?"

Derek was still trying to digest the scenes before him when he saw the meaningful goodbyes _his_ friends gave to Casey. He didn't hear the words that were exchanged between them but he could tell just by watching them that they meant a lot, especially to Casey. He had watched as they each gave her a hug and some form of a kiss before they parted ways from his stepsister and if tonight itself wasn't proof enough that Casey was really friends with _his_ friends from Toronto, those goodbyes certainly did as they each held a different personal vibe to them. He couldn't help but feel jealous at the fact that his friends could show Casey how much she meant to them yet he couldn't without all the questions and labels. Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion. _Where did that come from? _He was trying to figure that out when he heard his name being called. "Yeah?"

"You sober enough to drive home?" Dean questioned as he watched Derek closely.

"I-" Derek didn't know what to say but he didn't get a chance to contemplate that at the moment.

"If you want we could drive you home too." Sam interrupted, liking that his brother was showing concern for their sister's pseudo-stepbrother.

Derek shook his head as he took a few steps to close the distance between him and the Winchesters. "I have my car, so I think I'm good." He stated with a shrug as he made a move to look down the street as if he could see the Prince where he stood.

Dean scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Sammy could drive your car home."

"No, I-" Derek was about to protest but a tired voice cut him off.

"Derek can you please just take the offer, I wanna go home." Casey interjected as she turned in Dean's arms to face her pseudo-stepbrother.

Derek took one look at Casey and he instantly saw the tired and defeated look on her face. Without a second thought, he could feel his body already giving in to what the brunette wanted. "Fine." He agreed with a slump of his shoulders, as he kept reminding himself that he wasn't supposed to argue with her because of a bet…even though deep down he knew that he didn't agree so easily because of _that_.

Sam Winchester smiled; for the fact that Derek took the offer and for the fact that he caved to one of Casey's _wishes_. "Good, do either of you need a ride too?" He directed the last part towards Emily Davis and Sam Richards.

"I came with Ralph so I have to go find him and drive us both home." Sam Richards explained as he pointed in the direction of Jason's mini-mansion.

"Are you good to drive though?" Dean questioned as he gave the graduate a narrowed look while retracting his arms around Casey's shoulders.

Sam quickly nodded his head, feeling the need to reassure the older man. "Yeah, I only had one or two beers tonight but I have a high tolerance."

Dean nodded his head as he accepted the graduate's explanation.

"Alright, Emily what about you?" Sam questioned, beating his brother to it.

Emily shrugged her shoulders as she fought the urge to fall asleep right then and there. "I could use a lift, I do live just next door to Casey and Derek." She stated with a slight slur.

Dean smirked as he clapped his hands together. "Okay, now that that's settled, let's hit the road." He declared as he pointed in the direction of where he parked the Impala.

Dean led the way while Sam walked beside Casey, his arm now around her shoulder. She couldn't stop herself from leaning into his side as she felt her exhaustion slowly consume her body.

Derek and Sam quickly said their goodbyes with a promise to see each other tomorrow morning as planned before Sam returned to the party while Derek and Emily followed behind Casey and the Winchesters.

It wasn't long before the group approached the Chevy Impala. Dean unlocked his beloved car before he opened the backseat for Emily while Sam directed Casey to the shotgun seat. Once both girls were settled in, the brothers turned to face each other.

"I'll follow you in Derek's car." Sam declared as he gestured for Derek to start walking towards the Prince.

Dean nodded his head in approval. "Have fun bitch." He quipped as he opened the driver's door.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Jerk."

Dean laughed before he got into the driver's seat while Sam jogged to catch up to Derek, who was two cars away from the Impala yet one car away from the Prince. When Derek approached his car, he made his way towards the driver's side, prompting Sam to pick up his speed to intercept Derek's initial plan of action.

"What are you doing?" Sam questioned when he slammed the driver's door before Derek could open it all the way.

Derek looked up to give Sam a quizzical look. "Getting into my car…what's it look like I'm doing?" He defiantly stated even though he could feel his exhaustion taking over him as the day's events were finally catching up with his body.

Sam arched an eyebrow at the graduate. "Weren't you listening? I'm driving."

"But it's _my_ car." Derek argued back even though he knew he shouldn't.

Sam scoffed as he experienced first hand what Casey had to deal with when it came to Derek. "Yet you've been drinking tonight so hand me the keys." He firmly stated with his hand stretched out to Derek.

"You've been drinking too!" Derek countered, not seeing why Sam should drive _his _car when he barely let Casey drive it.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I have more experience with alcohol than you Derek plus I have a higher tolerance than most so I'm driving. Now please give me the keys." He repeated himself once more as he towered over the teenager.

Seeing no chance of winning the argument, Derek sighed as he handed his car keys over to the older man before he walked around to the passenger side. Sam chuckled under his breath as he moved into the driver's seat, got himself situated before he pulled out of the parking spot to drive up to the Impala. He stopped just beside the car behind the Impala to allow for Dean to get out of his spot. Sam waited until Dean took the lead once again as he headed towards the McDonald-Venturi Residence with Sam right on his tail in the Prince.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**Music Disclaimer: **I don't own the songs used in this chapter. It was just used for solely entertainment purposes only. (I hope that covered it).

"_Last Friday Night_" belongs to Katy Perry and her record label.

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**A/N #3: So how did I do with Cason?** How was the rest of the chapter (ie: the Winchesters, Derek and the gang)? I was both excited and depressed by this chapter because of Cason and the gang saying goodbye, respectively (even though I found it odd that I loved writing the goodbye moments...I thought they were very sweet and I figured Casey could get that reaction out of any time of guy). This _isn't_ the last we'll see of Devon, Alex, Tyler and Carter but it will be a long while for sure (date-wise) before they return to the story.

**A/N #4: **I have to admit that it was difficult to write Cason since I'm a true Dasey fan but I'm still sad to say that the romantic-Cason is official over. What's left of Cason is a true friendship that Casey would never trade in the world. Casey and Devon are best friends that truly love each other and only wish for the best for one another (even if they can't personally give it to each other in the long run).

**A/N #5: **Before I get any reviews about how Cason could go on having sex only to find out that Devon suspected that Casey had feelings for Derek. Now the way I see it, Casey has bottled up all her feelings for Derek for about a year or so at this point, so she's definitely had a lot of sexual tension and the way I figured it was that Devon was a way for her to release it without judgment or without slipping up to Derek about her feelings. Also with Casey becoming an active hunter again very soon, that means building romantic relationships is out of the question which only leads to one-night-stands as her option if she really needs to…alleviate those bottled up feelings she has for Derek. It would be better to deal _with_ someone she trusted completely compared to a complete stranger she'd meet while on the road. I hope you see where I'm going with this. ;D

**A/N #6: **Alright so the link for the tattoo picture can be found on my LJ master list for the series (link is a very long one). Please check it out because there is a spoiler tattoo on there that a Winchester will be getting in the future. *wink*

**A/N #7: **Once again, thank you so much for the reviews and for all the support you guys have been giving me for this story (and for my others), it truly means the world to me! **I can't wait to read what you think about this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!  
**

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**PROMOTION: **I just wanted to let you LWD fans know that I've started another crossover that consists of LWD with the TV series "_Vampire Diaries_" that mainly focuses on Casey and Derek in the VD-world (it's a Dasey). It's called **"A Journey** **To Find A Lost Soul" **(found under the tv-VD fandom) and there is also a oneshot in the same verse called **"I Miss Being Human" **(also under the tv-VD fandom). I dubbed this series the '_Soulmate Verse_' so please check it out and tell me what you think of it!

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**Originally Published: **August 8, 2011


	18. Ch 17: Was It A Dream Or Just A Memory?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 17: Was It A Dream Or Just A Memory?**

**A/N #1: **HEY EVERYONE! How's everyone doing? I hope everyone is getting in as much fun as they could before school starts...I know I'm trying to get as many ideas done as I can because sadly I need to really concentrate this upcoming year for my degree. So that is a heads up ALSO this chapter might be a little shorter than usual (for me) BUT I originally had 5,000 more words tagged on and I still wasn't done but I figured that where I ended it here was the perfect spot to end it.

**A/N #2: **Thank you SO MUCH to all the reviewers, readers and alerters for this story. It truly means the world to me that you guys are loving this story just as much as I do and it's definitely been a blast writing it and sharing the journey with you all. Before you move forward, just a little warning that if I got anything wrong when it comes to a hangover, I apologize as I've never had one before. Now without further delay...enjoy!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"No Secrets", "Middle Manic", "Date with Derek", "How I Met Your Stepbro", "All Systems No Go", "Crushin' on the Coach" and "Babe Radier".

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Pilot" (flashback) and "Lazarus Rising" (Ipod jack)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"No Secrets" (WIP) and "Surprise – Part 2"

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

Dean had a mischievous smile on his face before he shouted his forgotten thought at the teenager. "Call Bobby up. Maybe it'll loosen the old man up to hear from you and I won't have to hear him call me an _idjit_ any time soon."

Devon laughed. "Alright but I wouldn't get my hopes up, my uncle's been calling everyone _idjit_ for as long as I could remember." He shouted playfully, earning himself three smiles from the hunters.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Dean stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

Devon shook his head out of amusement. "No you can't." He stated before he closed the distance between him and Casey once again as he placed a kiss to her temple. "Bye Cay."

Casey sighed. "Bye Devon."

Devon turned to the rest of them as he waved goodbye before he jogged to the car where Carter, Tyler and Alex were waiting. Once he jumped into the car, Carter didn't hesitate to pull out of his spot as he sped down the road while his roommates waved to their friends.

Casey watched the first group of friends she's ever had drive off into the darkness as more silent tears fell from her eyes.

***SC***

Seeing no chance of winning the argument, Derek sighed as he handed his car keys over to the older man before he walked around to the passenger side. Sam chuckled under his breath as he moved into the driver's seat, got himself situated before he pulled out of the parking spot to drive up to the Impala. He stopped just beside the car behind the Impala to allow for Dean to get out of his spot. Sam waited until Dean took the lead once again as he headed towards the McDonald-Venturi Residence with Sam right on his tail in the Prince.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[Tues. November 19, 1985]_

"Come on Sweetie, it's time for bed." Mary Winchester stated as she smiled down at her six year old son, Dean, who was gently holding his seven-month old sister in his arms as he sat in the arm chair in her nursery.

"Can't I hold her for a little while longer Mommy?" Dean questioned with a slight pout at his mother before he shifted his attention to his baby sister…he always wanted siblings and now he had one of each kind; a little brother and a little sister.

Mary chuckled as she found Dean's frequent request very adorable. "It's time for bed Dean and Sammy looks like he won't sleep unless you sleep." She stated as she directed Dean's attention to his two year old brother, Sam, who was currently sitting in Casey's crib as he tried to stay awake.

Dean sighed, not wanting to be the reason why his little brother didn't get enough sleep. "Okay." He dejectedly stated as Mary moved to slowly take a semi-conscious Casey out of Dean's arms.

"That a boy Dean."

Dean's attention shifted when he heard his father, John Winchester, by the door. The six year old boy smiled at his dad while his mom steadied his sister in her arms. "Hi Dad."

John chuckled when he noticed the defeated and tired look on Dean's face. It was the same routine every night; ever since Dean got their approval that Casey was big enough for him to hold on his own. "You can hold Casey tomorrow son, it's time for you and your siblings to go to bed." He told his eldest son as he made his way to Sam as he lifted him out of Casey's crib.

Little Sammy didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around John's neck while he stepped back, allowing Mary to walk up to the crib with Casey in her arms. The matriarch of the family placed her daughter into the crib before giving her a soft kiss on her forehead as she wished the youngest Winchester a good night sleep.

"Say goodnight Dean." Mary stated as she pulled back to allow her six year old son to squeeze on in and lean over the rail so that he too could give his baby sister a kiss on the forehead.

"Night Casey." Dean whispered to her before he pulled back and headed for the door, wishing both his father and brother a good night before he left the room with Mary hot on his trail.

She stopped at the threshold as she looked to her husband while brushing a hand over her sleepy two year old son. "You got him?"

John nodded as he rubbed his hand up and down Sam's back. "I got him." He reassured her before she left the room to tuck Dean into bed. After watching his wife leave to tend to their eldest, John turned to face the crib with a smile. "Sweet dreams Casey." He softly told her before he closed the door and left her nursery as he made his way to the boys' room that they currently shared.

*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*DW*SW*

It was in the middle of the night when a man appeared over Casey Winchester's crib as he looked down at the silent baby. It wasn't long before his presence was known as the lives of the Winchester family would change dramatically because of this mysterious being.

Mary Winchester looked into the yellow eyes of the man hovering over her daughter's crib before she was murdered as the man, a demon, pinned her to the ceiling before gutting her stomach; a huge gash forming over her abdomen. Her screams woke John from his deep slumber, causing him to sprint to the nursery. It was once he noticed his dead wife on the ceiling did everything go up into flames…literally. Flames engulfed Mary as they emanated from the ceiling before it caught other objects on fire.

Panicked after seeing his wife pinned to the ceiling by invisible forces, John grabbed his daughter and rushed out of the room to get her to safety. Luckily he ran into both of his confused and groggy sons in the hallway just down the hall. John instantly placed Casey into Dean's arms as he demanded his boys to run. Dean didn't question his father as he did as he was told while his brother tried to keep up as best as his toddler legs could carry him.

After his failed attempts to reach his wife, John rushed out of the house to reunite with his children moments before the fire took over the second floor as the flames were out of control.

It wasn't long before the fire department came to extinguish the fire but John didn't care as he sat on the roof of his black 1967 Chevy Impala, cradling Casey in his arms while Dean stood beside him as Sam snuggled into his big brother's arms while silent tears fell down both the brothers' cheeks.

No one paid attention to the family that just lost their home and a member of their family so nobody noticed when John Winchester suddenly tensed as a cold breeze washed over him, carrying a sinister voice that held a promise that John never wanted to come true.

"_Sooner or later, __**she**__ will be __**mine**__._"

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_[Sun. June 27, 2004]_

Casey bolted into a sitting position in a cold hard sweat before gripping her head tightly and falling back down as her head hit her pillow. The sudden movement had produced a huge migraine; no thanks to the hangover that she knew she would have in the morning.

"Casey? You okay?" She heard Sam question her from across the room, turning his attention from his laptop to his sister, but she couldn't find it in her to answer him as she felt like she couldn't breathe. That was the third time she's had that specific nightmare **(A/N: Another time was during the whole dream diary thing…so instead of her Truman dreams, she had these nightmares) **and what she hated the most about it was that it wasn't a figment of her imagination but a repressed memory that she _shouldn't_ be reliving. Hell, she barely remembered anything from her life in Lawrence, Kansas which she hated because that meant that she barely remembered her mother; Mary Winchester.

Sam and Dean looked towards one another before Dean started rummaging through his duffel bag for the aspirin while Sam made his way to get a bottle of water from the mini fridge that came with their motel room. The oldest Winchester made his way towards his sister before his brother tossed him the bottle of water. Dean didn't hesitate to catch it before he poured a few pills out of the bottle, uncapped the water and handed them both to Casey.

"Here." She opened her eyes to the sound of Dean's voice to see the proffered water and aspirin. She slowly moved up the bed so that her back was against the headboard. She took the pills and swallowed them prior to washing them down with the water before handing the bottle back to Dean.

Her eyes remained closed as she waited for the aspirin to take effect and it wasn't long before the pounding in her head started to slowly fade. She slowly opened her eyes, taking note that the only light in the room was the bathroom light and the one near Sam's laptop. She blinked a couple of times before the sight of her brother came into focus.

She sighed as her fingers moved to rub her temples. "You know, not every girl wants the first thing she sees in the morning to be her half-naked brother." She stated playfully before she opened her eyes once again to give Dean a wicked grin, showing that she was just playing with him.

Dean rolled his eyes. It wasn't his fault that he was shirtless since he was rummaging through his duffel bag for a shirt when she bolted up straight in bed. He was grateful though that some of his bruises had gone down enough that Casey wouldn't notice them unless she was looking for them. "I see your sense of humor hasn't left you." He quipped back as he placed her water bottle on the nightstand. He waited a few moments, watching her carefully before he spoke again. "How are you feeling?"

Casey sighed as she got her breathing back to normal. "I'll be fine."

Dean gave her a skeptical look. "You sure? Because that wake up call says otherwise." He pointed out without hesitation.

She hesitated, not really sure what she should tell them about her sudden wake-up call. "It was just a nightmare…no biggie." She shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to delve into her nightmare at the moment…she'd rather focus on her receding hangover.

"Want to talk about it?" Sam piped in as he leaned against the counter where the mini fridge was located.

Casey slowly shook her head from side to side. "Not really." She stated before grabbing her water bottle once again to take a small sip.

"If you say so. Bathroom's free." Dean declared as he moved to where his duffel bag was so that he could find his shirt.

She nodded her head before she slowly got out of the bed she shared with Dean last night thanks to the bet he had lost with Sam. "Thanks." She mumbled before she made a move to her duffel bag which Sam was holding out to her. She gave her brother a thankful nod before she headed for the bathroom. "Hey Dean?"

Dean stopped what he was doing as he turned to find Casey leaning against the bathroom's door frame as she bit her bottom lip. "Yeah?"

She inhaled deeply, not wanting to ask him what she was about to but she _needed_ some sort of confirmation pertaining to her nightmare. "Did you use to hold me in my nursery before bed every night?" She shyly asked as she kept her gaze on the motel's floor.

She didn't see Dean's eyes widen or when he looked to Sam with a slight panicked look in his eyes. "Why do you ask?" His voice showed no sign of panic, which the hunter was hugely grateful for.

She sighed before she looked up. "My nightmare was of the fire." She stated before she entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She really needed that shower right about now.

"Case-" Neither brother could finish as they heard the water from the shower turn on.

Dean groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner; the quest to find his shirt was long forgotten at the moment. "How the hell is she dreaming about that night?"

Sam didn't know what to say but he understood why his brother was reacting the way he was. None of them liked to bring up the night their mother was murdered by the yellow-eyed demon. "I have no clue." He stated with a sigh before he moved back to where he left his laptop.

Dean sighed as he slumped onto his bed with his head in his hands for a few moments. "You never told her about that night right?"

Sam crossed his arms over his chest as he gave Dean an incredulous look, as if that question was the most ridiculous one that he could have asked. "I was two years old Dean, how much _could_ I remember?"

Dean groaned as he pulled at his hair a bit. "Then how? We avoided giving her details like that when it came to that night." He stated with a slightly angry tone.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's a subconscious memory or something."

Dean gave his brother an arched eyebrow look. "Maybe?"

"Well I _can't_ be 100% sure Dean."

"Why not? You're the bookworm." He mocked as he stood up again to resume his quest to find his damn shirt.

"Jerk." Sam mumbled as he returned his attention to his laptop.

Dean scoffed. "Bitch." He retorted without hesitation as he pulled a decent t-shirt over his head.

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Meanwhile, Casey was trying to forget her nightmare once again by trying to recall what happened the previous night. As the hot water cascaded down her body, she couldn't help but smile at the memories of last night's celebration. She knew she wasn't that drunk and the hangover wasn't that bad, maybe a slight buzz in the back of her head when she woke up, but the nightmare only intensified that small buzz and her sudden movements didn't really help her in any way.

She remembered Emily's rambling words in the car ride to their street as Dean remained silent as he drove while giving his sister knowing looks every now and then. His amusement for the drunken graduate's ramblings was clearly evident on his face. She remembered Sam offering to walk Emily to her house while Dean helped her with Derek, who was on the brink of unconsciousness and she couldn't really blame him. It had been a _very_ long night.

She had sent Dean to get Derek a bottle of water while telling him where the aspirin was so that they could leave it on Derek's nightstand before they left. It was during Dean's absence did Casey guide Derek to his bed. She thought he would find sleep instantly once his head hit the pillow but when she was about to walk away, she was surprised to feel his hand tug on her wrist.

As she lathered her body up with the soap, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of what he said to her after his hand had slide from her wrist to her hand.

**[FLASHBACK]**

"_Case?" __Derek groggily called out to her, not wanting her to leave just yet even though he felt so tired._

_She slowly turned her attention to him, ignoring the instant shock that resonated throughout her body just by the single touch; a reaction she hated to admit, beat all the majors ones that Devon had given her earlier in the night. __"Yeah Der?" __She answered as she stepped closer to his bed, showing that she wasn't going anywhere and to her surprise, Derek still had his hand in hers. _

"_You were different tonight." __He stated as he held her gaze as best he could. _

_She couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. __"So I've been told."_

"_Was it only for tonight?"_

_She didn't know what to make of Derek's question since he was an exhausted yet intoxicated graduate yet he still managed to keep his face expressionless minus the one that showed his exhaustion. _

_So she decided to go for the truth, figuring that he'd forget about it once he woke up. _

"_No."_

_Derek gave her a lazy smile, squeezing her hand tightly before letting go as he tucked it under his pillow. __"Good. Night Spacey."_

"_See you in the morning Der." __She whispered to him before she turned to head out but she couldn't help but jump back, her hand immediately going over her heart, when she saw Dean leaning against Derek's doorframe. __"DEAN!" __She yelled in a whisper as she tried to slow her heart rate down. _

_Dean smirked at his sister, having witnessed the little scene between the graduates without them noticing his presence. He entered into the bedroom to place the water bottle and bottle of aspirin on Derek's nightstand before he motioned for Casey to follow him out. _

_She did as she was silently told, closing Derek's door before she followed Dean downstairs and out the front door to the Impala, where Sam was waiting for them. _

**[END FLASHBACK] **

She remembered being pissed at the fact Dean scared her like that and for the fact that he witnessed something that should have stayed between her and Derek. All their moments seemed to only happen when they were alone together…unfortunately.

The youngest Winchester finished shampooing her hair as she remembered how exhausted she was when they returned to the motel room. She remembered taking her duffel bag in and heading straight to the bathroom to change into her pajamas before she returned to claim one of the beds. The last thing she remembered was Sam on his laptop and Dean fixing up their bed before he left to get ready to call it a night.

She reminded herself to ask Sam if he was researching those names their father gave Dean earlier in the evening once she got out. It wasn't long before she shut the water off and wrapped a white fluffy towel around her body. She quickly towel-dried herself before she rapidly got changed into the simple outfit she had packed; a blue jean skirt, an off-the-shoulder AC/DC shirt and a pair of black converse sneakers. Once the hunter was clothed, she started to wipe away the steam that had settled onto the mirror from her hot shower. It wasn't until she had a clear view of herself did she notice the slight color variations all over her neck. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight. _Clearly Devon wanted to stake his claim on me last night. It's funny how no one noticed them. _She mused to herself as she started to cover them up with makeup before she went about her regular routine prior to putting on the same jewelry she wore yesterday (her silver hooped earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring).

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It wasn't long after Dean had found his shirt that he was all packed and ready for the day. Casey was still in the bathroom so he figured he would have enough time to check out what was on the news but Sam's consistent typing stopped him in his plans.

"Did you find anything new?" Dean questioned Sam as he started walking towards his brother.

Sam shook his head. He's been researching on and off since they got back last night. "I found the articles that mentioned the names that Dad gave you."

Dean nodded his head as he looked over Sam's shoulder to see the data for himself. "Did you find the pattern that Dad was referring to?" He asked as he started to skim through the Waterloo articles and the obituaries attached to them.

Sam sighed. "Not yet. At first glance there doesn't seem to be a connection between the victims. They are too spaced out." He stated dejectedly as he started to lean back in his seat, forcing Dean to take a step back.

Dean groaned. "Great. What do we do? Aren't we supposed to be going to Nora's barbeque today?" He said in a conflicting tone and Sam couldn't really blame him. If it were any other time, they would be hitting the books, doing interviews, whatever it took to figure out what it was they were dealing with but this time wasn't like the usual; they weren't in the correct city, they didn't have a few days and they already had promises to women they haven't seen in years. Naturally the brothers knew which issue was more serious but they _couldn't_ find it in them to disappoint these specific women in their family.

"We could work on it once we get back." Sam offered as he clicked on a few things within the files he's collected.

"_You_ could work on that, _I'll_ work on other things." Dean stated as he walked to his bed before ceremoniously dumping himself on it.

Sam gave his brother a confused look, sensing that his brother's mood had already shifted; as if an idea had just come to his mind. "Like what?"

Dean smirked. "Casey and Derek related things."

Sam could feel his brow furrow as his confusion only deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"If Lizzie pulls through with my favor, I'll have my own set of research to do tonight." Dean explained triumphantly as the prospect of seeing the supposed research was enough to keep his spirits high.

Before Sam could question his brother further, another voice interrupted him. "What research?" Casey questioned as she walked out of the bathroom with her bag in hand as she only heard the last part of what Dean had said moments ago (so she has no idea that Dean was referring to their cousin).

"For the names to the case that Dad gave…Dean." Sam quickly answered but he hesitated once he took a look at Casey, his eyes instantly dilating out of shock. He quickly turned to face Dean and he wasn't surprised to find that his brother was stunned speechless as he too was taking in Casey's appearance.

Casey ignored their stunned stares as she walked towards her bed and placed her duffel bag down. "How do I look?" She questioned as she did a little twirl.

That seemed to snap Dean out of his stunned stupor as he immediately sat upright on the bed. "Please tell me you did not just dye your hair while you were in that bathroom."

It wasn't the clothes that she was wearing that shocked the brothers (she actually looked more like herself in those clothes), it was the fact that their sister now had _red_ hair in the form of soft ringlets with a few pink and blue streaks in the front with her bangs cut short. **(A/N: Like Bella Thorne's hair in her **_**Shake It Up**_** music video for "Watch Me" but with no bandana). **

Casey rolled her eyes at their overdramatic reaction. _At least they __noticed__ that something was different. _**"**Oh relax Dean, it's just a wig." She declared dismissively with just a wave of her hand but she was quite amused when her statement caused both Sam and Dean to give out a sigh of relief.

"Why are you wearing a wig?" Dean questioned while Sam shut off his laptop.

"I'm getting a jump start when it comes to disguising myself so what do you think?" Casey explained as she placed her hands on her hips as she twirled around one more time. She had gotten the wig awhile back when she purchased the blonde one yet she figured now would be the perfect opportunity to test it out.

Sam gave his sister an encouraging smile. "I think it's great but why do you need a disguise? We're going to Nora's place." He stated with a confused tone laced in his voice.

The youngest Winchester nodded her head in agreement. "Yes but not before going to the mall to pick a few things up."

Dean gave his skeptical look before he leaned his back against the headboard once again. "And you need a disguise for the mall because?"

She sighed. "I don't want to be stopped at the mall by people I know who would ask me all these questions that I rather _not_ answer. I just want to be in and out of the mall." She knew that the mall would be crowded now that school was out and she knew that there was a very good chance that a few of the people from last night's party would be roaming around the mall by the time they got there. The hunter just had this feeling that if she was seen with her brothers again, then she would be swarmed with questions because let's face it…teenagers tend to gossip and stick their noses where they don't belong and she'd rather avoid that.

"Okay but what do you need at the mall?"

"What is this, 20 questions?" She immediately snapped back as her headache seemed to making a quick appearance.

Dean groaned. "Casey." He stated in a stern force and the young hunter instantly knew that Dean wasn't that far off from being mad enough to call her _Cassandra. _

She immediately took a deep breath in before exhaling it all back out. "Fine. I need to buy an Ipod jack for the Impala…"

"I never said you could douche up my baby." Dean interjected with a glare as his arms were crossed across his chest.

Casey rolled her eyes before she continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "I need to get a dessert for the barbeque and you guys need a few things too."

The brothers perked up for two different reasons.

"What kind of things?" Sam questioned at the same time that Dean asked, "What kind of dessert?"

Casey stifled her giggles as she gave them a knowing grin before she made a grab for her duffel bag and started walking to the door. "Pie now let's go." She called out just as she walked over the threshold. She figured she could answer Sam's question on the way to the mall.

Dean grinned when he got his answer, immediately swinging his legs around before he stood to grab his leather jacket. "No need to tell me twice."

Sam rolled his eyes as he too stood and grabbed his jacket. "You'd do anything for pie."

"So? Pie is a delicious choice for a dessert." Dean quipped back before he headed towards the Impala, where Casey was patiently waiting, leaving Sam to lock up their room before he joined his siblings.

* * *

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* * *

"I won't be able to let this go Case." He whispered before he looked into her eyes, noticing once again that they were a _beautiful_ hazel-green color instead of the deep oceanic blue color that he's had many stare downs with over the past three years. _Why aren't her eyes blue anymore?_

He suddenly shook his head when he realized the scene that was playing out before him once again. _What the hell is going on?_

She sighed. "Not even for a little while?" She asked but he shook his head from side to side. She closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply before she slowly exhaled. "Should have figured as much…you rarely gave up when it came to what you wanted." She quipped before she opened her eyes once again to the sight of Derek smirking as he watched her.

"Yeah well, you know my motto." He cockily stated with a shrug of her shoulders. In the back of Derek's mind, he couldn't understand why or how he was back here but he couldn't stop himself from recreating the scene between him and Casey just after their encounter with Ryan.

Casey chuckled as an amused smile formed on her lips. "_What Derek wants, Derek gets._"

Derek grinned as if he were a cat that just ate the canary, just like he had done the first time around. "Exactly, so just tell me now." He coaxed, hoping her good mood would persuade her to his line of thinking.

"But Der, we're doing what _I_ want tonight." She innocently announced but Derek could sense a slight undertone that he wasn't familiar with when it came to the brunette in front of him.

"And what's that?" He challenged but when he saw her take a step closer to him, invading his personal bubble, his eyes widened slightly as his mind couldn't fathom what her next move could be.

"_Would you really hesitate if she __**did**__ do something?" _The question passed through his mind as he watched her, taking on the form of Alex Johnston's voice. _"You have an insanely attractive woman in front of you and you're worried about the possibility of her kissing you? Suck it up Venturi and take the plunge!" _His friend's voice continued on as Casey moved closer towards Derek.

He could feel her sweet breath caress his lips as she slowly exhaled, they were that close in proximity at this point, and he was stunned that he wasn't appalled or afraid of the closeness between them but either way, he was frozen as only his eyes seemed to be working as he searched for any sign from her and what her intentions were. _What should I do? _He frantically questioned himself again, not liking the idea that _Casey_ was making him freak out like this but he figured it was the alcohol's fault but before he could make a choice, she made it for him.

"_She's worth the risk Derek." _It was Devon McCloud's voice that took residence in Derek's mind this time as it repeated a quote that came up during the conversation the night before while Casey closed the remaining distance between them until her lips brushed over his in a sweet chaste kiss.

Derek didn't know what he was feeling at this point but he knew that an innocent kiss like that should _not_ have him feeling things that he's never felt before in another kiss. He was hesitant to fully respond, afraid that if he intensified the kiss then a floodgate of emotions might escape him and consume him to a point that he didn't know which way was truly up.

He could feel her attempts at deepening the kiss as he felt her tongue softly graze over his lower lip. He wanted to be stubborn and be the one to initiate it but he didn't give a damn about his stubbornness after another set of Alex's words passed through his mind; _if you actually feel something for her, __**don't**__ deny it. _

It was as if once the words had reregistered itself in his mind did Derek finally take action as he kissed the brunette with a renewed fervor he never knew he had in him; a hunger he never knew existed until now as it seemed like the taste of Casey was the only thing that could sate that _need_ inside of him.

"_She's definitely something special." _Alex's voice resurfaced with an amused chuckle in Derek's mind just when the stepsiblings pulled apart to catch some needed air.

"That didn't just happen." Derek declared a little breathlessly before opening his eyes.

Casey giggled as her grip on his shirt, he finally noticed, had tightened. "My mind seems to say otherwise." She stated happily just before she bit her lower lip in a seductive manner as she gazed into his eyes.

Derek blinked a few times as her calm and giggling manner tried to register in his mind; both actions completely foreign to him when it came to Casey. "Why aren't you freaking out?" He whispered as he found that his hand automatically moved to brush a stray hair of hers behind her ear.

"There are other things to freak out about Derek and this isn't one of them." She confidently stated as her gaze shifted between his darkened eyes and his swollen lips.

He tried searching for any more clues on her face, but he wasn't getting any as he only saw the signs of a girl who wanted him to ravish her with kisses but for some reason he couldn't do that right now…he needed answers. "Why now then?" He questioned with a tilt of his head as his hand moved from her cheek and down her neck as if he was following a trail down to her arm.

Her grip on his shirt loosened before she took a step back as she gave him a questioning look. "Why _not_ now? If you wait too long to obtain what you truly want, you may be too late to get it." She softly stated yet he heard the conviction in her voice as she started to take a few steps back.

His brow furrowed out of confusion as he wondered why she was moving away from him. "What are you…" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as he watched her fade away before his very eyes, leaving him alone in the darkness that consumed the backyard he was just in moments ago. "CASEY!" He frantically called out into the darkness as his eyes searched around him but it was no use…she was gone.

"You waited too long Venturi." Derek immediately turned around when he heard the voice as he came face to face with Alex Johnston yet he was dressed in a dark blue dress shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans which Derek found very odd. _What the hell is Alex wearing? _

Before Derek could say anything, another voice interrupted them. "What happened to living in the moment and asking questions later?" Derek turned his attention slightly to the side as he saw Devon McCloud emerge out of thin air just beside Alex, as he wore the same thing as the blonde teenager yet in a dark green color.

Derek was completely confused by his friend's strange appearance yet he couldn't help but reply to the last statement. "It's more serious than that. Our situation isn't like all the others." He found himself saying while in the back of his mind he was wondering _why_ he said it like that. _What was I trying to say? _

Devon shook his head from side to side in a disappointed manner. "I told you she was worth it, _no_ questions asked."

"And it's because of your hesitation that you lost your chance with her." Alex interjected before everything started to fade before Derek's eyes, bringing him back into the darkness. He didn't need to see anything in order for that final voice to creep back through his mind to leave its final message before Derek fell into unconsciousness.

"_Before you know it, she'll be out of your life for good." _

* * *

Derek's eyes immediately snapped open before he had to close them again due to the bright rays that shone through his window. He groaned as he felt the remnants of his hangover intensify the longer that he was awake.

"EDWIN!" He shouted as his eyes remained shut and it wasn't long before Edwin slowly opened Derek's door and walked inside, knowing full well that Derek would have some form of hangover that morning.

"You rang?" Edwin deadpanned as he noticed that his brother was still in the clothes that he wore last night. _How drunk was he last night?_

"Drapes." Derek grumbled as he kept his eyes shut while he slowly moved up his bed so that he was sitting up a bit.

Derek could hear Edwin's feet shuffle across his floor as he made his way to close his brother's drapes, stopping all sunlight from coming into the bedroom. "All clear." Edwin stated before he headed to Derek's desk to turn the lamp on for some form of light before heading to Derek's night stand.

The hung-over graduate slowly opened his eyes before he rubbed the sleep out of them as a few memories about last night and about his dream started to resurface themselves.

Edwin waited, as usual, before he handed Derek the water bottle on his night stand. The graduate took the proffered bottle and took a few gulps while Edwin got two aspirins out of their container for Derek to consume. It was an unspoken routine between the brothers and even though Derek never said his thanks, Edwin knew that his brother was still grateful for his part (even though the older Venturi never knew that the younger Venturi was silently guided by their _keener_ stepsister).

"It must have been some party last night huh D?" Edwin questioned out of curiosity just when Derek had finished the water bottle.

Derek gave his brother a lazy smirk as his night at _Hunter's Bar and Grill_ and his time at Jason's party came to mind. "You have no idea Ed."

Edwin smirked as he took the empty water bottle from Derek. "Care to share?"

Derek scoffed. "Not a chance."

"Figures." Edwin mumbled to himself as he threw Derek's trash away, not really complaining at this point because it won't be long until he wouldn't have to be Derek's slave as he would be off to Queens soon…Edwin still couldn't believe it.

Derek groaned as he ran his hand through his bed-head-hair. "What time is it?" He questioned as he finally noticed that he was still in the clothes that he wore the previous night. _How out of it was I last night?_

"Just after eleven. I'm surprised you're even up now." Edwin stated after glancing down at his wristwatch.

"Same here." The graduate mumbled as he tried to put his thoughts together. "I guess its better this way; Sam and Ralph are coming at noon." He stated just as he swung his legs over the side of his bed.

"For the barbeque?"

Derek groaned as he placed his head in his hands. "Oh right, I forgot about that." He rubbed the back of his neck before looking up at his brother. "What are we having?"

Edwin shrugged his shoulders. "A whole bunch of stuff. Nora's in the kitchen getting it all ready but she went grocery shopping earlier."

Derek nodded his head. "I see and where's Dad?"

"Cleaning the pool. Lizzie and Marti are either with Nora or outside waiting for Dad to finish." Edwin explained with another shrug. George had gotten a decent sized pool installed last summer as a wedding anniversary gift for Nora instead of his previously planned gift of going to Mexico with her. The pool didn't take up their whole background so Marti was still able to run around yet the pool was still big enough for the whole family to be in and swim around in it. With the new addition, Derek had felt no need to sneak off to use the Davis' pool like he used to.

"Alright and Casey?"

Edwin gave his brother a sheepish grin as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "I actually don't know where Casey is. Nora just said that she was out which I found odd since I asked that three hours ago."

Before he knew it, Derek tensed at the news as he felt this overwhelming need to find her. He remembered that she was drinking last night so the chances of her being hung over this morning were _there_ but he didn't get _why_ he all of a sudden would go and march around the house looking for answers as to where she currently was.

Edwin watched as Derek's body language changed before his eyes after he mentioned not seeing Casey this morning. It kind of reminded the younger Venturi of the time just before Derek had let him in on Scott's plans for Casey. His observation was somewhat confirmed when Derek spoke with obvious irritation lacing his voice. "Casey was already gone before eight? What is she Super Woman or something?"

"Maybe, you never know with Casey." Edwin stated as he tried to hold back his grin.

"That's true." Derek grumbled before he ran his hand through his hair once again as he thought of a game plan. _I need to get ready. _He thought before he slowly stood from his bed and started heading for his dresser. "Well glad we could have this chat Ed but I need a shower." He declared as he got a new set of boxers from his drawer.

"Yeah, yeah." Edwin stated dismissively before he left his brother's room.

Derek wasn't that far behind Edwin when he left his room but instead of turning right for the stairs, Derek continued forward to the bathroom. The graduate turned the shower on, took care of some _business_ before he stepped into the hot shower. As he let the hot liquid wash over him, he allowed its effects to consume him as it lessened his hangover to a point that he could try to recall his memories from last night.

He definitely remembered the confusion he felt at dinner when he learned a bit more about the Winchesters and he remembered how that confusion intensified as the evening progressed…especially when it pertained to Casey. Images of her acting differently flashed through his mind as he washed his body. He remembered how carefree she acted with the Winchesters and how comfortable she was around his hockey friends from Toronto. He could feel his grip on his bar of soap tighten when he remembered how closely Casey had gotten to Devon last night. Seeing them together even in his memories still irked him for no reason and the dream from last night only confused him even more.

He knew that it had to be a dream because there was no way that him and Casey would have kissed in reality…it wasn't in the cards for them, whether they liked each other like that or not.

Derek immediately froze in his actions as his last thought reregistered in his mind. _Why am I thinking about kissing Casey as a possible thing? One dream doesn't mean anything. She's my stepsister…I can't be thinking like this. _

"_Don't deny it." _Alex's quote from the dream and from last night repeated itself in Derek's mind. _There is nothing to deny since there is nothing there! _He angrily thought to himself even though his thoughts kept going back to those moments when it could have resulted in more happening between them; the moment on prom night in Casey's room being a prime example.

By the time that he was finished with his shower, Derek was trying to convince himself that nothing had changed and that everything would go back to the way that it was supposed to be once Casey got home as she would turn back into the stepsister he's use to and he'd be done with it and move on.

But in the back of his mind, Derek knew deep down that this was only just the beginning and he didn't know whether he should welcome it or drive the feeling away somehow.

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Fifteen minutes later and Derek was as ready as he'll ever be for the day as he was dressed in a clean pair of swim trunks and a t-shirt. He had managed to find his cell phone after his shower as he sent quick texts to both Sam and Ralph to remind them to bring their swim trunks. He was already out the door and heading downstairs by the time he clicked the _send_ button.

He had about twenty minutes to spare before his friends showed up so Derek went straight for the kitchen, where he found Nora surrounded by a lot of groceries.

Nora had heard Derek coming once he stepped foot on the stairs so he wasn't surprised when she looked up right as he was approaching the kitchen's entrance. "Morning Derek. Hungry?" Nora cheerily questioned as she put the final touches on the sandwich she was currently preparing.

Derek smirked at his stepmom when he took a seat at the island. "Always."

Nora smiled before she handed the sandwich to Derek. "Here, I thought you might want a sandwich considering it's almost lunch time." She stated before she got started on the next sandwich.

"Thanks." He managed to get out before he devoured his sandwich as he was starving. "Oh this is good." He complimented while he was still chewing.

Nora sighed. "Chew with your mouth closed Derek." Derek rolled his eyes but he did what he was told…he liked Nora enough to follow her rules. "So how was last night?" She questioned as she worked on her current sandwich order.

Derek swallowed his food before he spoke. "It was alright I guess." He stated with a shrug, which Nora saw out of the corner of her eye.

"Were you watching out for Casey?" Nora questioned a few moments later.

Derek chuckled under his breath. "Was I supposed to?"

Nora sighed. She knew that it would be a long shot that he would answer truthfully but she knew she had to give it a try. "Derek."

Derek shook his head out of amusement. "Relax Nora, Sam and Dean were watching her if I wasn't…therefore Sam and Dean were watching her." He stated with a shrug before he took another bite of his sandwich.

"Really?" She questioned in an incredulous tone since she didn't think that the brothers would tag along to a high school party. Derek noticed her surprise and he couldn't help but nod while he was still chewing. "I didn't think they'd go to the party with her."

"Well they did. Speaking of, where is Casey?" He questioned just before he took another large bite so that Nora couldn't ask him anymore questions afterwards.

A small smile graced Nora's lips as she saw Derek's attempt to divert her from asking him more questions…she'd figure that she'd humor him by answering him. "At the mall. She'll be home shortly." She said as she remembered the phone call Casey had given her an hour ago stating that she was currently on her way to the mall with her brothers and that she'd be bringing back dessert.

Derek nodded before taking his now empty plate to the sink prior to leaving the kitchen.

"Are Sam and Ralph still coming over for the barbeque?" Nora called out just before Derek got to his recliner.

"They should be here any minute." Derek shouted right back before he grabbed the remote and settled into his comfy recliner for a little down time before his friends arrived.

Nora shook her head out of amusement for Derek's predicable routine just as she was finishing up the sandwiches. She moved to the back door, sandwiches in hand, to call out to her family that lunch was ready. Edwin was quick to arrive at the back door as he thanked her before he took the plate of food and carried it off to give the rest of the family their respective sandwiches while Nora went back inside to start on preparing the food for the barbeque.

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Derek got about twenty minutes of watching a game before the clock chimed twelve times. Derek was about to get up to get a drink but a knock on the door halted him in his action as he turned around to answer the door.

Sam greeted Derek with a slap on the back while Ralph slowly walked in with a pair of shades covering his eyes and his swim trunks in his hands (just like Sam).

"Rough night Ralph?" Derek questioned out of amusement as he watched Ralph flop onto the couch before Derek closed his front door.

Ralph groaned as he took his sunglasses off before he pressed his palms into his eyes. "How are you so calm? My head is pounding right now." He complained as he slumped further into the Venturi family's old couch.

Derek shook his head out of amusement as he walked to stand by his recliner, taking note that Sam was in the chair between the door and the television set. "Did you take anything?"

Ralph's nose scrunched up as he thought about Derek's question. "Um…no."

Derek chuckled while Sam rolled his eyes. "Well that's your problem then." Derek quipped as he gave Ralph a slap on the shoulder.

Ralph groaned. "Great."

Derek rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the stairs. "Hang on." He called out to his friends as he made his way to his room where he knew Edwin left the aspirin bottle. Normally he wouldn't do something like this but he knew that Ralph would be _no_ fun if he had to deal with his hangover at full intensity. Before long Derek was descending the stairs and passing Ralph two aspirin pills. "Here."

"Thanks." Ralph took the pills and dry-swallowed them all before Derek could get him a bottle of water. When Ralph showed no sign of needing water, Derek took a seat in his recliner.

Sam had remained silent since he arrived as he watched his best friend, who didn't look like he just went to the biggest party of the year last night. "You seem to be fine this morning." Sam pointed out from his spot across Derek.

Derek curiously arched an eyebrow at his best friend. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, you were kind of acting weird last night."

Derek scoffed. "How so?" He questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest while Ralph remained quiet as he watched his two friends.

Sam sighed, not really sure how to vocalize what he noticed at the party. He was still trying to figure out if what he noticed was even significant enough to bring up. "I…don't know really. Just a hunch I guess."

"Well that hunch is definitely off because I'm fine. My memories are a little fuzzy but they're slowly coming back." Derek explained as he felt himself relax in his seat. He didn't know why he became tense the moment Sam started commenting on his behavior last night but he was just glad that Sam dropped the subject.

Sam tilted his head to the side, a common thing he did when a subject caught his interest. "What don't you remember?"

Derek shrugged. "Just how I got home exactly is the only thing I can't remember at the moment." It was fuzzy for him but for some reason he knew that Casey had something to do with it.

Sam's brow furrowed out of concentration before he spoke. "Well the Winchesters offered to drive you home…Emily too, if that helps."

Derek's eyes widened as he remembered his very silent ride back home with Sam Winchester, who wasn't really talkative. "Oh right…Sam wouldn't let me drive."

Sam Richards chuckled. "You were pretty out of it in the end."

Derek scoffed. "Can you blame me?"

"Nope, can't say that I can." Sam replied with a nod of his head.

"So when do we swim?" Ralph suddenly asked, bringing his friends' attention onto him.

Derek and Sam gave each other a look before they turned to their hung-over friend. "How's the headache?"

Ralph turned to Sam. "It's getting better." He stated before looking to Derek for his response pertaining to the pool.

Derek smirked. "As far as I know, my dad is still cleaning the pool." Ralph accepted that as he rested his head against the back of Derek's couch.

"_Babe Raider_ while we wait then?" Sam suggested as he got up and headed for the game console to insert the game before he grabbed the two controllers and headed towards the couch. He gave one to Derek and one to Ralph but he refused it so Sam kept it for himself. It wasn't long before the best friends were in an intense game as they waited for the go-ahead when it came to swimming.

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The three graduates ended up taking turns in their mini _Babe Raider_ tournament for about an hour as their attention was diverted to a speedy Marti as she ran through the house before she headed up towards her room. Sam and Ralph just looked to a confused Derek as he kept his eyes on the stairs. It wasn't long before he saw his sister again but this time she was wearing her bathing suit while a towel was wrapped around her neck.

"Going for a swim Smarti?" Derek questioned as he watched Marti jump off the last step of the staircase.

"YUP! C'mon Smerek!" Marti called out as she sprinted to the kitchen and out the backyard, ignoring Nora's protests for her to slow down.

Derek snickered before he rose from his recliner. "That's our cue boys. It's time for a swim." He declared just as Sam went to turn the game console off.

"Finally! I was starting to get hungry." Ralph stated with a sigh of relief as he slowly got up as he grabbed his swim trunks.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Sam questioned as he went to grab his own swim trunks from the chair he left them on.

Ralph shrugged. "Because if I ate, I would have to wait another hour before I could swim." He explained causing Derek to fight off a fit of laughter for his friend's reasoning.

Sam's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Ralph, you don't need…"

"Oh just let it go Sam." Derek interjected, stopping a long explanation before it even started as he led his friends upstairs. Ralph quickly took over the bathroom whereas Sam took over Derek's room as their temporary changing rooms. While his friends were changing, Derek went to grab a few towels that were stored in the linen closet. He made a few comments to try and hurry them up as he waited and it wasn't long until the three graduates were making their way downstairs and to the backyard.

Ralph and Sam said their greetings to George, who was currently cleaning the barbeque, before they met back up with Derek, who was currently lounging on one of the family's lawn chairs. The youngest members of the family shouted their greetings to the graduates before they continued their game of beach ball volleyball in the shallow end of the pool. Once Derek, Sam and Ralph claimed a lawn chair for themselves, they stripped off their shirts, applied sun screen on themselves before they jumped into the deep end of the pool, creating a few splashes that fortunately missed George and the barbeque. They hadn't planned on going into the pool immediately but with the sun blazing down on them, the pool was just what they needed to cool down.

It wasn't long before the six occupants of the pool were in engaged in a major beach ball volleyball game. It got so intense at one point that the beach ball ended up sailing over the fence and into the Davis' backyard. Everyone groaned for the fact that they lost their source of entertainment but they were all surprised when a familiar voice brought their attention back to the fence.

"Somebody lose this?" Emily Davis questioned as she looked over the fence with the offending beach ball in hand while she stood on two packages of soil that were just by the fence (Mrs. Davis was planning to do more gardening over the summer). Emily had woken up an hour ago with a splitting headache due to her hang over but when she saw the beautiful day outside, she couldn't resist the opportunity to go tanning. She was just about to head outside to start her tan when she saw the beach ball land in her yard.

"Smerek did it!" Marti shouted as she continued to jump up and down in the shallow end.

Derek chuckled as he faked an attack at Marti (she immediately squealed and hid behind Lizzie) before he turned to the fellow graduate. "Want to join us Em?"

Emily looked around the McDonald/Venturi's lawn as every occupant in the pool had their eyes on her. "I don't know. I don't want to impose." She stated just before she threw the beach ball back to the swimmers.

"You're always welcome here Emily." George interjected as he put the cover back on the grill.

Emily smiled. "Thanks Mr. Venturi but I'll think I'll…"

"Casey will be here soon. She's just out getting some dessert for dinner." Lizzie added in for Emily's benefit. She had sensed Emily's hesitation and she knew that Casey would be thrilled to have her friend join them. Derek's friends were over so why not have Casey's friend be invited too?

Emily thought it over for a bit but she couldn't find any reason _not_ to join in on the fun. "Alright but I'm only coming over to swim." She firmly stated since while the barbeque was the blended family's way of celebrating the graduation milestone, Emily was going out to dinner with her parents later that night as their family celebration.

Derek smirked. "Fine by us, just get over here!" He stated with a wave of his hand and Emily didn't hesitant to make her way to her gate. "Edwin, let her in." Derek ordered just as Marti was passing the beach ball in Derek's direction.

Edwin sighed as he got out of the pool. "Yes Derek." He deadpanned as he headed for the gate that Emily was waiting by. Edwin was just lucky that it was hot enough that being out of the pool didn't send shivers down his spine.

"Derek stop ordering Edwin around." George chided his eldest son just as he was checking the grill to see if it was ready to start cooking on.

Derek snickered. "Sorry Dad but it's just _too_ tempting."

George rolled his eyes for his son's attitude before he headed inside to see if Nora needed any help.

By the time that George returned to the grill five minutes later, Emily and Edwin had joined the others in the pool as they continued their game of beach ball volleyball. The graduates tended to stay in the deep end while the youngsters stayed in the shallow end as they volleyed the beach ball back and forth while they shared many laughs along the way.

Everyone was so caught up in their activities that they didn't realize when three new visitors joined the party until one of them spoke.

"Looks like the party started without us." He quipped as all eyes landed on Dean Winchester and his siblings.

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**A/N #3: **So what do you think? How were the two dreams? Derek's was mostly like a 'what if' type thing that I just _had_ to share with you all and Casey's gives you a background idea of what happened the night that changed everything for the Winchesters. **What do you think will happen next? **Will Derek do something about the dream? Will Sam solve the puzzle to the Waterloo murders? Will Dean find something in the Dasey files? Will the Venturis ever mind out that the Winchesters are blood related to the McDonalds? You gotta let me know what you think to all these in a review =D

**A/N #4: **This is just a slight note pertaining to my other stories (which I hope you check out at some point) but they are temporarily put on hiatus during the school year and if I'm able to write, then I would most definitely work on this story, **"Second Chances"** and my VD/LWD story, **"A Journey To Find A Lost Soul" **(Dasey with a progressing Delena!). Just a heads up for you!**  
**

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**Originally Published: **August 30, 2011


	19. Ch 18: Permanent Protection

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 18: Permanent Protection**

**A/N #1:** Hey everyone! How's everyone doing? Well it's week three of my semester and I'm already swamped with readings but I just had to post something today because it's my friend **Enx2103**'s birthday today (Happy birthday Jen)! The chapter is a bit shorter than normal but I didn't want to give you guys something that was half-assed so I decided to just have another chapter before I move on to the next day in this story.

**A/N #2: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews, hits and added alerts to this story. It truly means the world to me as it gets me through the day knowing that someone else is enjoying this story with me (and reviews just brighten up another gloomy day at school).

**A/N #3: **I also wanted to say that the new outtake **'No Secrets' **is now posted and I highly recommend that you check it out because not only does it deal with the nightmare Casey experienced last chapter but there is another one in there that alludes to some future events in this story. So check that out and enjoy the chapter!

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **250th** Reviewer and it goes to **TNLOCKFAN1**. You all rock!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Vacation with Derek" and "Allergy Season" (nickname)

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Heart" (game), "Jus In Bello" (tattoo) and "Lazarus Rising" (Ipod jack)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes":** "Surprise - Part 2"

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**NOTE: **My friend and fellow reader **Enx2103** (hi Jen!) has dubbed the duo Casey/Devon as "CASON" and I just love it! Hope you guys like it too! Which pairing are you voting for?

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**LAST TIME:**

"You're always welcome here Emily." George interjected as he put the cover back on the grill.

Emily smiled. "Thanks Mr. Venturi but I'll think I'll…"

"Casey will be here soon. She's just out getting some dessert for dinner." Lizzie added in for Emily's benefit. She had sensed Emily's hesitation and she knew that Casey would be thrilled to have her friend join them. Derek's friends were over so why not Casey's be invited too?

Emily thought it over for a bit but she couldn't find any reason _not_ to join in on the fun. "Alright but I'm only coming over to swim." She firmly stated since while the barbeque was the blended family's way of celebrating the graduation milestone, Emily was going out to dinner with her parents later that night as their family celebration.

Derek smirked. "Fine by us, just get over here!" He stated with a wave of his hand and Emily didn't hesitant to make her way to her gate. "Edwin, let her in." Derek ordered just as Marti was passing the beach ball in Derek's direction.

Edwin sighed as he got out of the pool. "Yes Derek." He deadpanned as he headed for the gate that Emily was waiting by. Edwin was just lucky that it was hot enough that being out of the pool didn't send shivers down his spine.

"Derek stop ordering Edwin around." George chided his eldest son just as he was checking the grill to see if it was ready to start cooking on.

Derek snickered. "Sorry Dad but it's just too tempting."

George rolled his eyes for his son's attitude before he headed inside to see if Nora needed any help.

By the time that George returned to the grill five minutes later, Emily and Edwin had joined the others in the pool as they continued their game of beach ball volleyball. The graduates tended to stay in the deep end while the youngsters stayed in the shallow end as they volleyed the beach ball back and forth while they shared many laughs along the way.

Everyone was so caught up in their activities that they didn't realize when three new visitors joined the party until one of them spoke.

"Looks like the party started without us." He quipped as all eyes landed on Dean Winchester and his siblings.

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_[Sun. June 27, 2004]_

**Moments Earlier: **

"Whatever happened to it being a get-in-get-out mall trip?" Dean complained as he stepped out of the Impala. They had just spent a little under three hours at the mall searching for items that Dean thought were not necessary to purchase.

Casey rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the backseat of the Impala. "Oh stop complaining. You had fun and you know it Dean." She stated as she slammed her door shut with her purchases in one hand and her duffel bag in the other.

"I'm a guy Case and guys _don't_ like shopping." Dean protested as he relieved Casey of her overnight duffel bag.

Casey scoffed. "Well you liked it when we were _shopping _for pies." She stated before she pointed to Sam to make her point since he was the one holding the two boxes of pie they had purchased for dessert.

"That was different." Dean objected as he made his way towards the McDonald/Venturi household.

"Hardly." Casey grumbled.

Sam rolled his eyes for his siblings constant bickering. "Sorry Case but I have to agree with Dean on this. Shopping is not fun." He stated as he walked around the Impala to Casey who was at the bottom of the steps.

Casey sighed. "But…before today we never got to roam around a mall together just for the hell of it." She pointed out as she walked up the steps before she stopped to search for her house keys.

"And now you see why." Dean stated just as Casey had opened the front door.

Sam and Dean walked inside without further mention of their mall trip while Casey took a quick inhale before she shouted a greeting. "Hi, we're back!"

"In the kitchen!" Nora shouted back as she continued to prepare for the barbeque. George had come in moments ago to gather some of the things that needed more time on the grill. It was about a minute or two later before Nora came face to face with the Winchesters. "So how was the…mall?"

Casey had voiced her excitement the same time the boys voiced their displeasure (which was expected) but Nora's focus was more on her niece's appearance. It wasn't that she was against her niece's choice of clothing, actually the simple outfit seemed to fit more perfectly with the youngest Winchester's personality than what she's been wearing but it was the _hair_ that caught Nora off guard.

"Oh now it couldn't have been that bad." Nora replied to their answers about the mall as she tried to figure out the right words for Casey. "I…like what you've done to your hair Sweetie." It wasn't a lie, Casey looked gorgeous as it was obvious that she could work the redhead look but Nora definitely needed time to get use to it.

Casey smiled at her aunt, the effort being greatly appreciated. "You can relax Nora, it's just a wig." She stated with a laugh which only increased when Nora gave a visible sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness. It's a great look on you Hun, really but that was a definite surprise." Nora explained after all of the Winchesters were giving her curious looks for her reaction.

Casey smirked. "I know. I caught the boys off guard with it this morning." She stated with a smaller laugh which earned a few chuckles from Nora too.

Sam shifted on his feet as he debated with himself if now was a good time to ask. "Where would you like these?" He questioned Nora as he gestured towards the pie boxes in his hands.

Nora laughed as she gestured towards the fridge that was slightly behind her. "You can check the fridge but if there is no room you can set them on the dinner table for now. I have no room in the kitchen at the moment." She finished with an apologetic shrug as Sam did just that as he went to check the fridge first.

"Need any help?" Dean offered as he looked over all the food that Nora was trying to prepare for dinner…it was like she was feeding an army that night.

Nora gave her eldest nephew a grateful smile. "No, you kids go outside for a swim. Have some fun. You definitely deserve a break after all your hard work."

"Are you sure?" Sam questioned after returning from placing the pies on the dinner table since the fridge was too full like Nora had predicted.

Nora gave an encouraging nod towards the Winchesters. "I'm positive."

The Winchesters were reluctant to leave (that much was evident when they looked between one another) but with a little more insistence, the siblings left the kitchen as they headed for the second floor with Casey leading the way. With her duffel bag in her hands once again, Casey made a beeline for her bedroom with her brothers trailing behind her as they took in the second floor (taking notice of a few photos along the way).

By the time Sam and Dean entered Casey's room, she was already unpacking the new items they had bought at the mall; two sets of swim trunks, an Ipod jack and some sort of connection cord that she needed for her laptop (she always borrowed Edwin's but she figured that she would need one of her own when she hits the road).

Sam and Dean could only watch their sister unpack as they took the room in as the room she was in at the very moment was her first _real _bedroom. It definitely suited her with the dual colors working together in a way that made the room more sophisticated.

Before either brother could truly look around, Casey was shoving a pair of swim trunks into their hands. Sam and Dean both gave her confused looks before they looked back down to the article of clothing in their hands.

Casey rolled her eyes before she repeated herself again. "You guys can switch out of the bathroom while I get changed. Just knock when you want to leave your clothes on my bed when you're done." She stated as she pushed her brothers out the door before pointing out the bathroom to them. She immediately slammed the door in their faces so that she could get changed before they had a chance to argue with her.

Without hesitation Sam and Dean started a game of _rock, paper, scissors_ for the bathroom which resulted in Dean winning (which stunned Sam). It didn't take long for the older hunter to strip down and replace them with his new swim trunks as he was out in the hallway, clothes in hand, in five minutes. The brothers silently switched places before Dean headed for Casey's door.

He knocked a few times before walking into her room. "Hey Case, where are the…son of a bitch!" He furiously questioned in reference to the black markings he saw on her mid-back while ignoring the fact that she had removed the wig. She now had her brown hair back and donned in two braids.

Casey spun around immediately, instantly pleased that she had already put her orange bikini on **(A/N: Same one she wore in **_**"Vacation with Derek"**_**) **and that she was only dealing with the wrap when Dean walked in. "DEAN!"

He immediately tossed his clothes onto her bed before he gave her a glare. "What's that on your back?"

Casey gave her brother a glare that matched his as she placed her hands on her hips. "Ever heard of knocking?"

Dean growled. "I _did_ now answer the question; what's that on your back?"

Casey shrugged. "It's nothing."

The older hunter couldn't help but scoff at her nonchalant answer. "Really because I still see it in the mirror and it looks a lot like a fucking tattoo!" He snarled as he pointed to the image behind her which gave Dean a perfect view of her flaming pentagram tattoo.

Casey sighed as she saw no point in denying it anymore…and Dean was pretty pissed already. "I was going to tell you, I swear."

Dean continued to glare at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Really when? Just before you jumped into the pool?"

"I was going to wear a t-shirt." Casey quipped in a failed attempt to lighten the mood.

Dean shook his head. "Not good enough." She could see that he was tense as his form was rigid and she couldn't really blame him…Dean never liked getting surprises, just like her.

"What's with all the shouting?" Sam questioned as he finally joined his siblings. He was just putting on his swim trunks when he heard Dean's voice getting louder and he instantly knew that something wasn't right. He was kind of surprised that Nora hadn't shown up already.

Dean gave a humorless laugh as he turned to face Sam. "Well Sam it looks like little sis here has a tattoo on her fucking back!" Sam's eyes widened at his brother's words but he couldn't find his voice as he looked between his two siblings.

"Keep your voice down!" Casey protested, not wanting Nora or anyone else to walk in on them like this.

"What? Since when?" Sam sputtered out as he looked to either sibling for an answer.

"That's what I'd like to know." Dean stated in a tone that Casey knew all too well when they were growing up.

Casey sighed in defeat. "I got it after I turned eighteen."

"Which means you didn't need Nora's consent to get it." Sam thought out loud in a slight whisper but he noticed the nervous smile on Casey's face.

"No I didn't but…I still asked for Dad's permission." Casey whispered shyly but unfortunately for her, both brothers heard her.

"Wait, Dad _knows_?" Dean asked out of surprise since he wasn't expecting her to admit _that_.

Casey gave a nervous laugh before she bit her lower lip. "Yeah…and so does Bobby."

Dean's eyes widened even further as he lowered his arms down. "Hold on…you told Dad _and_ Bobby yet you _never_ told _us_ about it?" He questioned as he furiously gestured between him and Sam. He was feeling slightly hurt by that notion.

Casey sighed. "Bobby only knows because I got the design from him."

That reasoning perked Sam's interest. "Can I see it?" He questioned softly since he hadn't had a glimpse of the offending tattoo yet. Casey nodded before she slowly turned around, allowing her brothers to see the tattoo for the first time with no obstruction. Sam closed the distance between them as he found himself crouching down so that the tattoo was at his eye level as he examined it. He couldn't help the slight chuckle under his breath once he recognized the design. "A protective sigil?"

Casey shrugged her shoulders as Sam returned to his normal height. "It was the only way Dad would approve."

Dean continuously looked between his siblings as he got the feeling that he was missing something…and he wasn't going to stand there and take it anymore. "Okay back up for a moment you two…her tattoo's a protective sigil?" His answer was a pair of nods as Casey turned back around. "Of what?" He asked since he didn't remember seeing the sigil anywhere before then.

"Anti-possession. I remember reading it in one of Bobby's books that a body with the sigil imprinted on it made the body inhabitable to outside forces." Sam explained with ease as if he just read the book yesterday.

Dean's brow furrowed in thought. "Like demons?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Dean mulled that confirmation and he couldn't help but feel impressed yet slightly concerned. "Wasn't the amulet protection enough?" He questioned as he turned to Casey as he referred to the amulet that he had given to her when she was ten but as time went on, she eventually turned it into an anklet that she still wore on occasion.

"I didn't want to risk it Dean and now I'm always protected." Casey stated with a nonchalant shrug because it wasn't as if they could do anything about it now (and she most definitely will not get it removed).

Dean sighed. "Alright."

Casey gave a curious look to Sam before turning back to question Dean. "You aren't mad?"

"If it was because of some teenage rebellion thing then yeah I would be extremely pissed but you were thinking beyond that when you got it so no, I'm not mad." Dean explained as he slowly closed the distance between Casey and himself and he didn't even protest when Casey hugged him when he was done talking. She was always dreading Dean's reaction to her tattoo the most so she was pleased by his delayed approval but that still didn't mean that she was ready to tell him about her _second_ tattoo.

Sam smiled at the sight of his siblings making amends with their brief hug but he couldn't help the feeling that Casey wasn't telling them everything; her demeanor was a clue in itself but he wasn't sure if it was worth mentioning now.

"C'mon." Dean said with a bit of excitement like he was going to meet up with a hot chick.

Sam curiously quirked an eyebrow at Dean. "Why are you excited all of a sudden?"

Dean turned as he gave his siblings a mischievous smirk. "The rest of the family doesn't know about the tattoo, do they Casey?" He quipped.

"No." She answered, not liking at all where Dean's train of thought was leading to.

Dean snickered. "Then I can't wait to see their faces." He declared before he left her bedroom.

Casey rolled her eyes. "He hasn't changed much has he?" She questioned in reference to how easily Dean could switch moods to being overprotective or overbearing to childlike or rebellious.

Sam scoffed. "Nope. Does that bother you?"

"Not at all." She declared with a smirk as she grabbed their towels and headed downstairs with Sam right behind her.

The duo met back up with Dean in the kitchen as he was animatedly talking with Nora as she was preparing the hamburger patties but once Sam and Casey were within hearing distance, the chatter stopped before Dean turned in his stool to face his siblings.

"Took you long enough." Dean quipped with a smirk plastered on his face that instantly had Casey on edge. _What did he do? _She immediately thought before handing Dean his towel. He instantly draped it around his neck before he stood up and headed for the back door.

Casey and Sam gave each other confused looks as they each took their own towel in their hands before they followed Dean outside.

"Looks like the party started without us." Dean quipped once he felt Sam and Casey right behind him as he took in the family festivities. He instantly noticed that George was cooking on the barbeque, the youngsters where playing beach ball volleyball with the male graduates. He also noticed that Emily was only watching from the edge of the pool as she sat on the invisible divider between the shallow and deep ends with her feet dangling in the water.

It was amazing how one voice could halt all activity as that's what Dean's words had done as everyone's attention was brought back to the new arrivals. While it seemed like the graduates were stunned into speechlessness, George wasn't as he instantly approached the Winchesters.

"Good to see you again boys." George greeted as he shook hands with Dean then Sam while Casey quickly went to claim the three lawn chairs next to George's already claimed chair.

"Likewise George and thanks for inviting us." Sam stated politely while Dean followed Casey.

George smiled, feeling a little more at ease about the brothers (especially with his talk with Nora from last night still going through his mind). "No problem. I hope Casey wasn't too much trouble for you guys last night." He teased while also trying to get some information about last night since he still couldn't believe that Nora had allowed Casey to stay overnight with the brothers.

Dean smirked as an idea to get back at Casey for the tattoo surprise came to mind. "Are you kidding? She slept like an angel…now if only she didn't _move_ in her sleep." Dean innocently stated but that statement earned him a towel snap from Casey.

"I was the one moving? Think again Dean…you hog the bed just like when we were younger." Casey instantly argued back with a smirk on her face, directed right back at Dean as she wrapped her towel back around her as if it were a shawl.

Dean laughed when he had a little memory flash of when he and Casey used to nudge each other just for the hell of it when they were younger and in the same bed. "Now I have absolutely _no idea_ what you're talking about Baby Girl." He stated smugly before he crashed down onto his lawn chair.

Sam rolled his eyes as he gave George a pat on the back before he moved towards Dean. He gave his brother a smack in the head before he took the lawn chair on Casey's other side. Dean immediately growled at the violence as he rubbed the back of his head while he gave Sam a death glare.

"Real mature Sammy." Dean grumbled, ignoring the stunned stares from the swimmers as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes.

Sam chuckled. "It's what you get for making comments like _that_ Dean." He stated since he did notice the stunned expressions from George and the teenagers.

"Keep this up and you'll be setting a bad example to the little ones Sammy." Dean teased as he gestured towards Marti, Lizzie and Edwin, who all now had amused smiles on their faces as if they were watching one of their television shows.

Sam gave his brother a narrowed look. "For the last time, it's _Sam_."

Dean snickered as he sat up in his chair, his towel still dangling around his neck. "And once again, I don't care. I've been calling you _Sammy_ since the day you were born and I ain't stopping now." He declared right before he used his hunter reflexes to catch a bottle of sun screen that was coming at his face. "Hey! Watch the face!"

Casey gave her brother an apologetic look but it was obvious in her eyes that she wasn't sorry at all. "Oops, my bad Dean."

"You did that on purpose." He accused while he tossed the bottle to Sam since he gestured that he wanted it.

"Prove it." She challenged as she walked back to her lawn chair that was positioned between her brothers. After she had towel snapped Dean, she went to say a quick hello to Lizzie, Marti and Edwin before she asked to borrow their sun screen bottle that was just placed near the edge of the pool. Once she grabbed the bottle, she made a quick promise to her fellow graduates that she would be right back before she headed back at the most opportune time to get Dean back.

Derek was too flabbergasted to really say anything to Casey in her brief greeting to them. By the time she went back to the Winchesters with the sun screen in her possession, he still couldn't get the sight of her when she first arrived moments ago out of his mind (or the words exchanged between her and Dean for that matter). He knew that Casey was going to be at the barbeque but he didn't know that she actually _planned_ on swimming. In the past the only contact he's seen her have with the water was if she had her feet dangling off the sides of the pool while she was donned in a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt. He was _not_ expecting to see Casey in a bikini or to see how _very_ attractive she was in the flesh as she was practically _naked _before his very eyes. He got a full view of her very long, toned legs that led his eyes up to her very defined stomach (to a point that he could actually see her stomach muscles just under the surface) and her _chest_…there were no words to describe what he was feeling when he saw them and there were definitely _no_ doubts from Derek when it came to Casey's outer beauty as she had her curves in _all_ the right places.

_How the hell am I supposed to keep __**those**__ thoughts at bay now when she actually looks like __**that**__ underneath all the clothes she wears? _He questioned himself in a frustrated manner as his eyes followed her every move. He could manage before because he could always _pretend_ that she was just a pretty face but there was _no way_ that he could do that now…not when her perfect body was now seared into his brain.

_And what was with that comment? Did Casey really share a bed with Dean last night? _He mentally asked while he fought off the urge to punch something. Not only was that fact disturbing for reasons he rather not identify at the moment but it meant that she _wasn't_ in her own bed last night when he could have sworn that he saw her before he passed out in his bed (the moment was still fuzzy for him).

As his mind tried to find an answer, Derek watched as Casey silently applied sun screen to both brothers' backs as they shared a few glances between each other and the graduate just knew that there was more to it, as if they were having silent conversations between one another. He noticed it before during their dinner at the restaurant the previous night and now he really didn't like the synchrony between them and he definitely didn't like how relaxed Casey was being when Sam covered her back with sun screen. The thought infuriated him to no end and he was just too riled up to deny the possible possessive thought.

He watched as Casey and the Winchesters all stood simultaneously before they started making their way towards the pool. He watched as Sam and Dean entered from the shallow end, both getting hugs from Lizzie and surprisingly from Marti too (which irritated Derek even more). He was too wrapped up in making sure that Marti was okay to notice that Casey had taken a seat just beside Emily, on the side that was closest to Derek.

"When and where in the world did you find all these guys Casey?" Emily questioned in a semi-whisper, making a reference to both the Winchesters and the hockey players from Toronto, as she gave her best friend a side-hug. "Because I thought it was only us that you hung out with." She rambled on, gesturing to herself and the guys, as Casey pulled away so that she could place her hands on the edge of the pool as she leaned forward just a bit.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Hello to you too Em." She quipped with a chuckle as she was always entertained when Emily went all boy-crazy, just as long as it wasn't Derek she was talking about.

Emily turned her head to give Casey a pointed look. "No I'm serious."

And she truly was. When Emily had first set her eyes on the three arrivals, her jaw metaphorically dropped while her eyes widened. Her memory was still a bit fuzzy when it pertained to last night but she definitely remembered the Winchester brothers…she just never suspected them to be hotter than what she imagined underneath their clothes. She instantly noticed the muscles in Dean's biceps as he held the edges of his towel that hung around his neck. She noticed the defined abs on Sam's abdomen as he held his towel in his hands. It even got to the point that Emily had to look away before her eyes traveled too low on their gorgeous bodies. _They might as well be male models because those men are as hot as hell! _She had thought at the moment.

Every thought in Emily's mind was very optimistic as she raked the brothers' sculpted bodies in but she immediately started seeing glimpses of green when she took her first glance of Casey. Even though Emily adored her best friend, there have been times when Emily was jealous of Casey (like when it came to academic achievements or the copious amounts of time that Casey gets to spend with Derek) but it wasn't until _that_ moment that she was truly jealous of her best friend because Casey fit _perfectly_ with Sam and Dean Winchester. There was no doubt about it. If Sam and Dean were male model material in Emily's mind, then Casey might as well be a model too with the body that she was flaunting. Before that day, Emily always thought that Casey was self-conscious with her body (like when it came time to trying clothes on or taking a swim in Emily's pool) but Emily could see that her best friend now held herself differently as she stood by the brothers in her bikini, as if she had all the power in the world and she wasn't afraid to use it for her own personal gain…it was definitely odd to see yet it was refreshing. _Yet why have I never seen my best friend look so confident before?_

Unaware of Emily's previous thoughts, Casey sighed as she shook her head from side to side in a mock-disappointed manner. "That's what scares me."

Emily's gaze shifted off the Winchesters and back to Casey. "Ca-sey! Spill!" She whined as she tugged on Casey's arm, which caused the other three graduates to give them amused expressions as Derek was still on Casey's side while Sam and Ralph swam closer to them while treading water in the deep end.

"Oh fine. Devon and the guys I knew from Toronto while I've known Sam and Dean my whole life." Casey explained with a shrug of her shoulders, not really seeing what the big deal…it's not like she won the lottery or found the lost city of Atlantis or something outrageous like that.

Emily gave her friend an incredulous look for her nonchalant manner. "Well I don't know how you do it but you are friends with the _hottest_ guys I've come across." She declared as she was practically making moon eyes at the Winchesters.

Derek scoffed. "And what are we…chopped liver?" He mumbled to himself. He didn't like Emily in _that_ way but it was still disconcerting for him to hear his former _crushee_ crushing hard and fast on a couple of older guys she barely knew.

Casey made a gagging noise when she noticed her friend's infatuated stare. "Oh now I really didn't need to hear that when I actually enjoyed my lunch the first time down." She exaggerated yet she suppressed her surprise when she noticed that Derek was now smirking.

Emily gasped as she gave Casey a slight shove in the shoulder. "Oh stop it!"

A deep-throated chuckle interrupted the graduates as it brought all their attention onto the eldest Winchester. "Yeah Case, stop it. It's not her fault that she has great taste." Dean quipped with a mischievous smirk as he stood in the middle of the pool, right where the shallow end met the deep end, with Marti on his back. He was in the middle of giving the youngest Venturi a piggyback ride when he overheard the last few moments of his sister's conversation with Emily.

"Great taste in what?" Marti innocently questioned as her arms were wrapped loosely around Dean's neck. She was having a blast with the brothers, especially Dean, but she couldn't help but wish that her Smerek was playing with them too. _Dean's older than Smerek and he's playing with me so why won't Smerek? _The thought entered Marti's mind a few times but they would be instantly pushed back when someone brought her attention back to reality.

Casey and Dean chuckled at Marti's interruption while Derek was silently panicking inside. "Nothing Smarti." He stated dismissively which brought a slight pout onto Marti's lips.

While everyone was focusing on the Venturis, no one noticed the intense stare down between Dean and Casey.

Casey's eyes narrowed as her grip on the edge of the pool tightened. "Off limits Dean." She couldn't help but remind him because with Dean, sometimes she'd have to repeat herself until he finally got the message.

Dean let loose an amused chuckle as he shifted his hold on Marti just a bit. "And here I thought you'd have loosened up after last night, it's called having _fun_ Casey unless you turned into Sammy." He teased with smirk on his face.

"I heard that!" Sam shouted back before he went back to talking with Edwin and Lizzie as they filled him in on a few family favorite moments of theirs since the wedding.

Dean snickered and his smirk turned into a wide smile when he felt Marti stifle her giggles into his back. "I know!"

Casey rolled her eyes as she relaxed her grip. "I know how to have fun Dean."

The oldest Winchester gave his sister a skeptical look. "Do you Baby Girl?" He challenged just like he used to when they were kids.

"As a matter of fact, I've picked up a few things while I was here. You'd be surprised. " Casey stated with a mischievous smirk as her hand subconsciously moved to Derek's shoulder before she squeezed it a bit.

Derek gave his stepsister a quizzical look before he shifted his attention between her and Dean. He didn't shrug her touch off like many would have suspected. He was just too stunned with the tingles her touch seemed to send throughout his body as a slight déjà vu feeling washed over him.

Dean chuckled when he took in Casey's little movement (and her subtle message) before he shifted his attention back to his sister's face. Once he did that, she moved her hand back to where it was, causing Dean to smirk. "I bet I would be." He quipped just before Marti whispered into his ear, asking when they would get back to their game. Dean chuckled a bit as Marti's grip tightened before he told her he needed a few more minutes. With an understanding nod from the youngest Venturi, Dean turned his attention back to the teenagers as he looked to each of them before he spoke. "So how's the…headache treating you guys?" He spoke, switching a word at the last minute since he had to keep in mind of the youngster hanging off his back.

Derek shrugged as he was silently grateful that Dean didn't use the word _hangover_…Marti would've had a field day with questions. "Nothing we couldn't handle." He declared while everyone else just nodded in argument with him.

Dean got the message, whether Derek knew it or not, so he decided to back out for the time being…he'd have his fun with them later. "Good. Now I'll just let you guys get back to whatever it is you teenagers talk about." The oldest Winchester stated as his grip on Marti tightened as he quickly turned around, creating little waves around Marti as she giggled.

Casey released a small breath but unfortunately for her, Dean heard that causing a mischievous smirk to grow on his face. "Oh and Casey?"

"Yeah?"

Dean looked over his shoulder at his sister, making it clear as day that he was up to something. "Don't forget to show them what you showed me and Sam earlier." He suggested as innocently as he could before he headed back to the shallow end.

Casey's eyes widened while her fellow graduates turned to look at her with confused looks. "Dean!"

Dean laughed.

"Show us what?" Emily eagerly questioned as she covered up her hurt expression. _What else is my best friend keeping from me?_

Casey gulped as she tried to figure out a way to get them off the topic. "It's nothing." She simply stated as she mentally berated herself for forgetting what Dean had asked if the rest of the family knew about her tattoo.

Derek smirked as he turned to Casey a bit. "Oh c'mon Case, lighten up and show us." He prodded.

"I rather…" Casey trailed off as she slipped into the pool as normally as she could. Her plan was to slip into the water and have her back either covered by the wall or the water would make her tattoo a little less distinguishable. She thought her planned work as she lowered herself into the pool…that is until she heard Emily gasp.

"Oh my…is that real?" Emily questioned. She had got a glimpse of the black design on Casey's back when she was leaning back with her hands holding her up as Casey was getting into the pool.

"What?" The boys questioned as they looked between Emily and Casey (who was leaning against the wall with her arms resting on the pool ledge).

"The mark on her back…Casey when did you get a tattoo?" Emily stated before coming to the conclusion of what the black mark could be.

Casey's body tensed when she felt all eyes on her but she couldn't look at any of them as she was glaring at Dean from across the pool.

Derek's eyes widened as he looked to his stunned friends before turning to his stepsister. "A what?"

Casey groaned. "Dean, I'm going to kill you!"

Dean laughed, highly amused by the reactions he was seeing. He couldn't hear anything from where he stood with the others (and thank goodness for that) but he definitely heard Casey's threat to him. "Hey you're the one that forget to wear the t-shirt." He teased back with a yell before he made a few strokes towards her, so that they wouldn't shout their conversation out. Fortunately Marti was hanging off of Sam's back this time.

"You haven't been here a day and you're already getting me into trouble." She accused her brother even though she was mostly annoyed with herself. _How could I not realize that he would make me miserable as payback for keeping something from him?_It was obvious that he wasn't _fine_ enough about her tattoo to let her secrecy slide.

Dean smirked. "It's called getting back into routine. I missed out on _four years_ Baby Girl, I'm just getting started." He quipped but Casey knew that he was being serious, which worried her.

"Oh no." She whispered which only caused Dean's smirk to widen.

"Oh yes."

Casey shifted her focus off of one brother to the other. "Sammy?" She called out, in hopes that he'd be on her side.

Sam turned his attention to his sister when he heard his name only to be bombarded with her pleading puppy dog look. He was confused by what would have caused her to have that look (he was enjoying the many stories that the little kids were telling him) but one look at Dean's mannerism, crossed arms and a _don't-you-dare_ look directed at him, told him enough of the situation between his siblings.

He immediately waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no, don't look at me like that. I'm _not_ getting in the middle of this Casey." He stated as he gave his sister an apologetic smile while he gave his brother a death glare. He hated when they wanted him to pick sides but he knew very well what Dean was capable of in the prank department if he didn't get his way…and Sam did not want to have to watch his back for the next few weeks when it came to pranks.

Dean had a triumphant grin on his face before he swam backwards to the shallow end while Casey looked to the heavens, as if she was asking _why me_ to them.

Derek rolled his eyes as he watched Casey's theatric-like reactions. "Now that that's done, show us the tattoo Case."

Casey turned to give her pseudo-stepbrother an arched eyebrow look. "What if I don't want to?" She challenged and if she weren't holding onto the ledge, she would have crossed her arms over her chest with a cocky jut of her hip.

Derek scoffed as he turned his body a bit more towards her. "You're seriously going to spend your whole time in the pool attached to the wall?"

"Maybe." She stated with a shrug.

"C'mon Casey, just show us." Emily piped in. Her curiosity was driving her crazy.

Casey refused but it only brought on more prodding by Emily and Derek.

Sam Richards sighed. "They won't stop asking until you show them."

Casey's lip jutted out in a mock-pout. "You just want to see it too." She quipped and she was pleased to find that he couldn't deny her statement as his gaze shifted downwards.

"And me!" Ralph added in enthusiastically.

Casey groaned. "Fine." She released her hold on the ledge before she turned in her spot before she hoisted herself into the air with her arms as her only support.

From all their spots, the graduates could see Casey's glistening black flaming pentagram tattoo. They all looked at it in awe but for Derek, the source of the awe was not from the same place as his friends. After seeing the tattoo for the first time and taking note of its position, Derek realized that the tattoo was what he saw when he was unzipping her prom dress and few days ago. And with that realization, came the flood of emotions he felt in that moment which he was not ready to experience again.

Luckily for him, his friends took care of the brief silence after she had turned around and plopped herself back into the pool.

"That's cool." Sam commented with a smile on his face. Emily nodded in agreement, still finding it hard to find words at the moment. She still couldn't believe that her best friend had a tattoo.

"Why'd you pick it?" Ralph genuinely questioned. He liked the design enough to maybe get one of his own someday but he wondered where Casey would have seen it since he hadn't seen a design quite like it before.

Casey shrugged her shoulders before she placed her arms back on the ledge. "No reason."

Derek quickly turned his attention back on his stepsister as he observed her. He didn't believe her response and he knew exactly why. "You're lying. You wouldn't go through the physical pain for _nothing_."

Casey slightly turned to face Derek once again. "I barely felt it." She declared and out of the corner of her eye she watched his smirk appear on his face.

He moved a little bit closer to her to a point that his mouth was at the shell of her ear. "More lies." He firmly whispered, not knowing that it immediately sent shivers down her spine.

The youngest Winchester recomposed herself without anyone noticing before she spoke. "You'll just make fun of me like always."

"He won't say a thing." Sam assured her which earned him a glare from Derek.

"Hey!" Derek protested, not liking that his best friend was speaking _for_ him at this particular moment (or was he pissed that Sam had broken whatever _moment_ that just happened to him and Casey...he wasn't completely sure which reason it was).

Casey sighed as she closed her eyes. "It's a long story that has to do with my dad…enough said." She stated as she gave off the impression that talking about it, especially if her dad was attached to the story, was off limits. Luckily for her it worked because she didn't hear anything else after that. She took a deep breath before she opened her eyes again with a playful smile on her face. _It's time to have some fun._ "Now I'm ready to swim, who's with me?"

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It didn't take long for every swimmer in the pool to take part in a game of some sort but Emily still remained in her spot, since she didn't want to get completely soaked so she acted as referee for a majority of the games. Many laughs and many jokes were made throughout the games as they all enjoyed their time out in the sun.

George couldn't help the smile that graced his lips as he cooked their dinner as he casually looked back to see his children having a blast with their friends. Usually the youngsters would play amongst themselves while the teenagers hung out in the deep end but he was very pleased to see that _everyone_ was included in some way. He noticed that one of the Winchesters would always be around Marti if she got too close to the deep end (something he was grateful to see) and he saw how the bickering duo seemed to be sharing more laughs together as they tried to dunk one another just for the hell of it.

Casey was having a blast in the pool as she simply enjoyed the moment of being surrounded by the people she'd come to care for over the past few years. She heard genuine laughter from her brothers that were accompanied by carefree smiles as they themselves were acting like teenagers (yet remaining responsible when it came to the youngsters' safety). What really surprised her was that Derek was treating her like a friend and not like the stepsister he never wanted…that was icing on the cake for the youngest Winchester.

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Time seemed to fly by that afternoon as Emily's departure was upon them. She quickly stood, bidding her friends and neighbors goodbye before she headed back home to get ready for her family celebration dinner.

Not long after Emily left did Sam Winchester decide to get out of the pool so that he could offer his assistance to George when it came to the barbeque. He figured it was the least he could do considering that they were somewhat intruding on a family celebration…even though they were technically family. Either way, the eldest Venturi happily accepted as he handed Sam a pair of tongs before he headed back inside to grab the last of the uncooked food Nora had prepared.

When George returned to the grill, he noticed that a towel-clad Dean was walking towards the barbeque with a tired towel-clad Marti in his arms. Dean had noticed her sleepy demeanor earlier as she sat on the shallow end's steps and that's when he decided to scoop her up and out of the pool. He carried her to his lawn chair so that he could wrap her up in a towel before he would take her inside.

George chuckled as he handed the plate to Sam before he looked towards his sleepy daughter. "Did you have fun Pumpkin?"

Marti nodded her head as she nuzzled into Dean's embrace a bit more. Her actions caused both Winchesters to chuckle as it had brought them back to a time when Casey was that small and acting the same way that Marti was at the moment in Dean's arms.

"When's dinner Daddy? I'm tired...and hungry." Marti mumbled as she fought to stay awake. All the fun she was having in the pool that day had really tired the little girl out.

George smiled down at Marti. "Very soon Marti. Now how about you go take a shower now and by the time you're done, it'll be dinner time. Does that sound good?" He suggested; ignoring the knowing looks between the Winchester brothers.

Marti sighed. "But I'm _too_ tired Daddy."

Dean chuckled as he tightened his grip around the little girl as she was slipping a bit. "You know Munchkin if you're too tired to take a shower, I guess that means you're going to be too tired when it comes to dessert and let me tell you, its going to be delicious." He told her as he made his way inside just after giving a parting nod to his brother and uncle, who continued on with preparing for dinner.

Marti's ears perked up at that as she tilted her head up to look at Dean. "What kind of dessert?"

Dean smirked just as he entered the house. "Well what do you think about pies?"

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The rest of the swimmers were stunned as they watched Dean take Marti inside.

"Huh, I didn't think he'd actually do it." Edwin commented mostly to himself but Derek still heard him.

"Do what Ed?"

Edwin gave his brother an incredulous look. When Derek didn't seem to get the message, Edwin sighed. "Dean actually got Marti inside. You know how she _always_ makes a fuss about going inside before everyone else."

"That's true." Derek said as he remembered all the times that Marti would argue with everyone when she was asked to get washed up first. She usually only relented if her dessert was being threatened or if Derek agreed to go in early with her too. He couldn't really blame her because she always seemed to hate to be left out of things as of lately.

Casey smiled. "Dean just has a way with kids." She proudly stated as she remembered when she was the tired little girl in Dean's arms. Whether it was at the end of the day and he was putting her to bed or it was just after he finished up her swimming lessons, Dean always knew how to take care of her and it was no surprise to her that her brother still used those skills to this day.

Nothing more was said on the topic as they got back to their new game of beach ball volleyball.

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**A/N #4: **So what did you guys think? Were the reactions what you were expecting? Let me know in a review what you thought and what you think is going to happen (or even your thoughts on the season 7 premiere of _Supernatural_...which I thought was fantastic)!

**A/N #5: **Thanks again for all your wonderful support for this story...I truly am grateful to know that someone is interested in my writing! Just a reminder that updates will be slower than usually because of school...I hope you all understand! Have a great week everyone!**  
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**Originally Published: **September 26, 2011


	20. Ch 19: Are You Sure About That?

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 19: Are You Sure About That?  
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**A/N #1:** Happy Holidays Everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic time celebrating with friends and family and I'm excited to be posting after such a long time (so sorry about that but school _demanded_ my attention and it's not something I could easily dismiss even though I want to).

**A/N #2: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for all my readers, reviewers who have stuck by me this whole time and to all the new readers who have joined in on the story. It truly means the world to me that I could share this story with all of you and have you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it down (I know I say it all the time but it's still true). Now enjoy the chapter!

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the 270th Reviewer and it goes to anonymous reviewer **7tftty**.

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Music Disclaimer: **Song titles and their credits will be at the end (don't want to give spoilers) but I just wanted to say I tried to only have songs that were released before June 2004 so it's realistic with the dates but it was TOO tempting not including some of my favorites in the fast couple of years.

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to _Life With Derek _Episodes:** "Middle Manic", "Futuritis", "Rude Awakenings", "The Wedding" and "Home Movies".

**Reference to _Supernatural _Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"The Third Man" (lying line), "Croatoan" (virus), "It's a Terrible Life" (alias) and "Like A Virgin" (dragons).

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Fright Night"

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**LAST TIME:**

The rest of the swimmers were stunned as they watched Dean take Marti inside.

"Huh, I didn't think he'd actually do it." Edwin commented mostly to himself but Derek still heard him.

"Do what Ed?"

Edwin gave his brother an incredulous look. When Derek didn't seem to get the message, Edwin sighed. "Dean actually got Marti inside. You know how she _always_ makes a fuss about going inside before everyone else."

"That's true." Derek said as he remembered all the times that Marti would argue with everyone when she was asked to get washed up first. She usually only relented if her dessert was being threatened or if Derek agreed to go in early with her too. He couldn't really blame her because she always seemed to hate to be left out of things as of lately.

Casey smiled. "Dean just has a way with kids." She proudly stated as she remembered when she was the tired little girl in Dean's arms. Whether it was at the end of the day and he was putting her to bed or it was just after he finished up her swimming lessons, Dean always knew how to take care of her and it was no surprise to her that her brother still used those skills to this day.

Nothing more was said on the topic as they got back to their new game of beach ball volleyball.

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_[Sun. June 27, 2004]_

It wasn't until ten minutes before dinner was to be served did George tell all the kids to go change and wash up. He got many groans as his answer but they still got out of the pool as they each made a grab for their towels. Sam Winchester was even dismissed so that he could get out of his semi-dried swim trunks.

One by one, everyone headed upstairs to their respective rooms, passing Dean and an excited Marti along the way.

Dean had managed to convince Marti to take a quick shower before dinner in exchange for one of his bedtime stories. Usually he would have refused since he'd stopped telling bedtime stories when Casey was ten but it seemed like the youngest Venturi had her own version of the puppy dog eyes which he couldn't say no to. So the hunter wasn't that surprised when Marti had finished her shower ten minutes after he finished getting changed. She had a new sense of excitement in her that she grabbed his hand before dragging him downstairs. Normally the hunter would protest the action but he just couldn't find it in him to do so as the little girl reminded him of his sister at that age; a time when she was still somewhat innocent to what was truly out there in the world.

So the oldest hunter found himself helping the youngest Venturi set up the table when the rest of the kids headed towards the stairs. He glowered at his siblings when he saw their smirks before they too headed upstairs to change.

"I still get that bedtime story right?" Marti questioned Dean a few moments later as she tugged on his shirt. She noticed his scowl when everyone else was coming inside and she was hoping that it didn't have anything to do with her _persuading_ him into helping her out.

Dean snapped out of his thoughts as he looked down at Marti with a reassuring smile. "A deal's a deal Munchkin."

Marti smiled in return before they both got back to setting up the table.

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Fifteen minutes later and everyone was back downstairs and around the dinner table. George had given Derek and his friends his permission to eat on the couch if they wanted or they could eat on the kitchen's island counter since their little dinner table wasn't big enough for eleven people. Derek wasn't happy about it (due to the fact that he wouldn't be directly involved in the impending dinner discussion to gather his own observations) but with one look to Edwin and he knew that his little brother would immediately go into his spy mode for him.

Derek didn't miss much though as the dinner discussion was basically a covert interrogation about the Winchester brothers. Everyone knew this the moment George asked the brothers about what they've been up to lately, with more specific questions in comparison to the ones asked the previous night at the restaurant.

Sam took the reins as he mentioned vaguely about their positions in the family business before he mentioned looking into some online law courses in his spare time, which seemed to spark George's interest. Casey and Dean knew that Sam wasn't actually looking into online courses but they silently commended him on bringing up a subject that was in George's interest. It seemed to do the trick for awhile until the attention was brought back onto Dean.

The shift in attention didn't faze the oldest Winchester as he easily used his charismatic ability to divert the attention from him and onto a memory from four years ago when the whole Winchester family was in Toronto visiting Nora and Lizzie; it was also the last moment the siblings saw each other until now. He had to make a few alterations but only the ones personally involved could tell the difference between this retelling and what really happened.

Everyone's plates were empty by the time Dean finished the retelling about the first memory so Nora bought up dessert before anymore questions could be asked towards the brothers.

Marti instantly perked up at the mention of pie. "Ya! Dean promised me pie!" She declared with a beaming smile as Nora came back with the two pie packages that the Winchesters had purchased earlier.

Sam gave his brother an incredulous look when he took in the little girl's excitement. "You didn't."

Dean chuckled with an innocent shrug as Nora started slicing up the pies. "What? I'm not going to argue when the kid wants pie. Who wouldn't want pie?"

Casey snickered. "If you say so Dean, it just means less pie for you later on."

Dean's eyes widened at the thought before he cursed under his breath…he hadn't thought of that earlier as he was more focused on getting Marti to clean herself up. This caused the other Winchesters to laugh.

The oldest hunter sighed as he watched Nora pass out a slice to everyone…he could only hope that there was enough pie for him to have seconds afterwards.

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It wasn't long after the dessert was served did Sam and Ralph bid their farewells to the McDonald/Venturi family as they called it a night. With their departure came Lizzie and Edwin helping Nora and George clean up the dishes as everyone else settled into the family room. The Winchesters offered their assistance but Nora declined since they were their guests who have done enough when it came to the preparations of their meal.

"Now that is what I call a good home-cooked meal." Dean declared as he slumped into the couch. It had been a very long time since he had a true home-cooked meal. The only time he had anything remotely close to it was when they had meals back at Bobby's place in Sioux Falls.

"Don't let Bobby hear you say that now." Casey said with a chuckle as she made her way around the couch to take a seat beside Dean while Derek headed for his recliner.

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him."

"You sure about that?" Sam questioned as he joined in on the group, moving out of Marti's way as she rushed to join them, instantly placing herself on Dean's lap, much to Derek's dislike.

Dean grunted due to Marti's sudden presence. "Usually that's a bad saying but in regards to this, it applies."

"Why is it a bad saying?" Marti questioned as she looked to Dean with so much innocent curiosity in her eyes that the hunter didn't really know what to say. When Casey was Marti's age, she already knew about the supernatural world so Dean didn't really have to worry about what to say to her but now he had to watch what he said to the little Munchkin.

Dean quickly looked to Casey and Sam for some assistance but they both shrugged, leaving Dean to fend for himself. He then looked to Derek to see if he'd jump in to explain it to his own sister but the older Venturi was stumped too as he would usually pawn Marti off to his parents or Nora in situations like these.

Dean sighed as he scratched the back of his neck; his mind trying to conjure up the right words to say to the nine-year-old. "Um, sometimes Munchkin keeping things from others is hurting them more than it is helping them." He explained, his body tense as he awaited for the questions he knew any child would ask afterwards but the little girl surprised the hunter when she only muttered an _oh_ before she moved to the spot on the couch between Dean and Casey.

Casey and Sam exchanged amused looks with one another before they looked to their older brother, who just rolled his eyes at them as his response.

Derek filled the silence with offers of a movie which earned him a few cheers from Marti. Unfortunately the little girl's excitement was cut short when George returned with the slight command for his daughter to get ready for bed.

She was about to protest until Dean cleared his throat, earning him the little girl's attention. "The sooner you get ready for bed, the sooner you get that bedtime story Munchkin." He reminded her and it only took her a few seconds before she reacted by racing off to her room.

Dean chuckled before he took notice of his brother's worried expression. "Are you sure that's wise Dean? Your stories aren't very…traditional." Sam voiced as he had a skeptical look on his face.

Dean shrugged, not really seeing the problem. "I told them to Casey and she turned out fine." He stated with a smirk which was mirrored on his sister's face.

Derek scoffed. "That's debatable."

Casey turned to glare at Derek, who only smirked when he got the reaction that he wanted; a pissed Casey.

Before Casey could say anything back to her fellow graduate, Marti's voice was heard from the top of the stairs. "I'm done. Can I have that story now Dean?"

Dean laughed. "Now that was fast." He commented before he got up from the couch and headed to the stairs. "Did you do _everything_ you were supposed to do before bed?" He questioned as he ascended the stairs. Marti quickly nodded her head but the hunter wasn't buying it. "I know you're lying Munchkin."

Marti crossed her arms over her chest as she stood defiantly at the top of the stairs. "How?"

Dean smirked as he stood eye to eye with Marti. "I have my ways, now finish up with whatever it is you have to do or you're not getting a story out of me."

"But you promised!"

"Fine, you'll get a _really_...sucky and short story then." Dean countered which earned him a sigh from the little girl before she marched to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Dean chuckled as he followed and waited for her outside the bathroom.

"I don't remember him being like that with me." Casey stated from the couch after both Marti and Dean were out of her view.

Sam laughed. "It's because _you_ always listened."

"Yup, that sounds about right." Derek interjected as his attention was now focused on the television. He didn't really like how Marti would follow Dean's _suggestions_ so easily. He usually had to order Marti to do something before he got any results.

Casey scoffed. "Like you'd know." She stated before she stood up from the couch and motioned for Sam to follow her to her room.

It wasn't long before Edwin took Casey's spot on the couch while Lizzie headed up to her room after asking where everyone else went.

Derek searched around the room before he turned towards his brother. "Report Ed."

"The short or long version?" Edwin questioned as he leaned in closer to Derek's recliner.

Derek lowered the volume on the television a bit before he turned his attention back to Edwin. "I don't care, just give it to me."

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"So what preference in stories do you have Munchkin?" Dean questioned as he followed Marti to her room.

"It has to have a happy ending." She exclaimed as she moved all her stuff animals around so that she could snuggle into her bed, completely unaware of the look of horror on Dean's face when he saw all the stuffed animals.

_It's like a fucking toy store in here! _The hunter mused to himself before he found himself being eternally grateful that his siblings weren't so hell-bent on having all the latest kid toys when they were little…the result of not giving it to them would have been a nightmare.

Dean scratched the back of his neck before he helped the nine-year-old tuck herself in. "Alright. Are you expecting a fairytale because I'll tell you now, those are kind of fuzzy in my mind." He clarified as he took a seat at the end of her bed.

Marti shrugged as she hugged Sir Monks-a-Lot into her chest. "I don't mind. You just promised that I'd get a good story tonight."

He gave a nervous chuckle as he tried to find a story that would be suitable for the youngest Venturi. "Alright, let's see what I can do." He stated before jumping right into his story for her.

It was a fairytale of sorts as it focused on a plague that was wiping a kingdom out faster than any known illness. With the royal family falling ill like its subjects, Princess Margaret was the only one that was well enough to search for anyone in the kingdom that would go after the magical cure that was being guarded by the fierce dragon. Her search was over when she came across a family of huntsmen but with the father showing the early signs of the illness, it forced the princess to call upon his sons, Nathaniel Wesson and his younger brother Andrew. The brothers immediately accepted with the only motivation being the mere fact that their father needed the cure too; the fact that the kingdom needed their services was just a bonus for them. The princess was late to see the brothers off the next morning as they left before dawn, therefore she was unaware of the teenage female that was tagging along with the brothers; their little sister, Diana.

It was from that point on that Dean didn't really have to struggle with what would happen next as he combined a few hunting experiences together as he made the quest more fairytale-like for Marti (throwing in a few camping trips that he had thanks to Bobby). Although he never faced a dragon before, he did remember a time in his youth when Sam was asking him about the mythology when he came across this game that featured dragons.

Marti, on the other hand, loved Dean's story. It was very original yet very similar to her in a way. By Dean's description, she knew that he had based the royal family on _her_ family so she couldn't help but wonder if the huntsmen family was based on Dean and his family. She definitely knew that Diana had to be based on Casey (she didn't think it was a mere coincidence since Diana is Casey's middle name) but that only left the nine-year-old girl to wonder why Dean had placed Casey in the huntsmen family instead of with the royal family. As the story progressed, the little girl couldn't help but wonder how much of the dynamic between Nathaniel/Andrew/Diana was true when it came to Dean/Sam/Casey.

By the time that Dean had gotten to the final battle between the Wesson siblings and the dragon, Marti was trying her hardest to stay awake. He found that little action flattering as it showed the hunter that the little Munchkin really enjoyed his story. With that thought in mind, he sped the story up a bit more so that Marti could get some needed shut-eye. He made the Wessons victorious with the magical cure in Diana's hands while Nathaniel and Andrew grabbed a little something from the dead dragon before they headed back to the kingdom. Princess Margaret was able to cure her family and the rest of the kingdom while the Wessons rushed back with enough of the cure to save their father. With the kingdom in a celebratory mood, none of subjects realized that the Wesson family was nowhere to be found, leaving no way for the royal family to thank them.

Marti sported a sleepy smile on her face when Dean ended the story. The hunter held in a laugh as he watched Marti drift in and out of consciousness. He slowly stood before he fixed her blankets. He turned the light on her nightstand off and he was about to leave before he heard the little girl say his name.

He didn't know if she was awake when she said his name but when he turned around, he noticed that she was staring at him. "Yeah Munchkin?"

"Casey's lucky to have a big brother like you." Marti mumbled in her sleepy state as she blinked a couple of times. She didn't mean the statement so literally since her sleepy mind just assumed that what Dean and Casey have is purely platonic, like between siblings.

Dean was shocked but he wouldn't let that show on his face as he moved in to kneel against Marti's bed. "Our little secret." He whispered to her, earning himself an agreeing nod before she drifted off to sleep.

The hunter's mind was racing with possible slips he could have made to have Marti think what she did as he slowly exited the little girl's room, making sure to shut her door on the way out. His mind couldn't find one as he made his way down the hall towards Casey's room.

_Maybe the munchkin is more perceptive and observant than people give her credit for. _He mused to himself just before he made a move to knock on Casey's door. His knuckles never got a chance to hit the wood of her door as he found himself being yanked from the side into the other room. Normally a yank like that wouldn't have moved him all that much but it was the surprise in the yank that had him moving immediately towards his _attacker_, who he found was none other than Lizzie after she shut her bedroom door.

"You got quite a pull on you Liz." Dean stated with a chuckle as he rubbed the part of his arm where her vice-grip had been. It wasn't bone crushing but he was pretty sure that he'd be sporting some nail marks on his skin if his shirt wasn't in the way when she grabbed him.

"Thanks. I think it's because I pull Edwin out of a lot of places that he shouldn't be in." Lizzie stated cheerfully as she made a way towards her desk.

"Does that happen often?" He asked as he watched her riffle through the top drawer of her desk.

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders just as she found what she was looking for in her desk. "More than I'd like." She stated before she walked toward Dean and handed him the USB drive. "Here."

Dean couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face when he took a closer look at the USB drive in his hands. "Does this hold what I think it does?"

Lizzie nodded. "It should all be there. I would have emailed it to you but I didn't have your email." After her games closet meeting with Edwin the previous night, she was able to check her email to retrieve the files that Edwin had sent her by using her mom's laptop. She had realized, before checking the email, that she had no way of forwarding the data to Dean. Once her USB drive that she used for school came to mind, she quickly grabbed it, scrubbed the memory stick clean before transferring the files.

"No hacking into Casey's account?" Dean teased.

Lizzie scoffed. "I'm not Edwin and besides, when it comes to that laptop, Casey's made sure that no one gains access inside."

"Smart girl." He mumbled with a smirk before it transformed into an appreciative smile. "You'll have it back tomorrow. Thanks Lizzie." He stated as he pocketed the little device prior to reaching for the doorknob.

He was already knocking on Casey's door before he fully closed Lizzie's door.

After getting Casey's shouted approval, Dean walked into his room to find Sam at Casey's desk on her laptop while Casey was rummaging through her closet.

"It's about time you joined us." Sam greeted his brother while his attention still remained on the laptop.

"Well what can I say, that kid had a lot of energy in her which required a _long_ bedtime story." Dean declared before unceremoniously dumping himself onto Casey's bed.

All noise from the closet stopped before Casey poked her head out with a questioning look directed at Dean. "You didn't tell her a scary one right Dean?"

Dean rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms across his chest while his legs crossed at his ankles. "I think it was pretty tamed. I used the usual _princess__ needed a dragon killed_ scenario." The answer was good enough for the teenager as she resumed her search through her closet which earned her a questioning look from her oldest brother.

"How'd that go?" Sam questioned before he typed a few things into the laptop.

Dean shrugged. "I thought it went pretty well." He stated as he watched as his siblings' attentions were more focused on their individual actions; Sam with the laptop and Casey with her closet. The hunter sighed before he sat up, uncrossing his limbs in the process. "So what have you two been up to?"

"I'm going through my clothes. I was going to do it during the summer break but certain _brothers_ didn't bother to let me know in advance that they were coming." She explained with a playful glare directed at both her brothers before she made her way towards her bedroom door to lock it.

The brothers snickered. "Yeah but before she got to that, Casey was explaining her laptop's setup to me and I swear Dean, the system she has in this thing is amazing." Sam stated with an awe-like quality. He still couldn't believe that Casey was able to set up her laptop the way she did.

Noting his brother's excitement, Dean got up from the bed to the spot that allowed him to look at the laptop over Sam's shoulder. "Why's that?"

While Sam showed everything to Dean on their sister's laptop, Casey was willing to add anything else to Sam's explanation along the way. All in all, Dean was definitely impressed. Her _hunting hard-drive_ basically consisted of three databases; their father's journal (which, to Dean's surprise, she had somehow recreated electronically), an access to all newspaper archives and an access of the police database of the area. What surprised Dean (and Sam when he was first told this) the most was that the newspaper and police databases would work anywhere in the country. All Casey had to do was type in a few codes before she would gain access into the new system whenever they moved from town to town.

The rest of the brothers' stay that night consisted of Casey asking them for their opinion when she wasn't sure about a certain article of clothing while the brothers looked through a bunch of Casey's stuff (with her permission of course).

It was an hour or two later when the brothers decided to call it a night, much to Casey's dismay. Sam and Dean went to say their quick goodbyes before they headed out, with the promise of seeing Casey the next day for lunch. They would have met up sooner but Dean mentioned that they needed the sleep after the exciting weekend they just had.

Casey sadly waved goodbye to her brothers as she watched Dean pull the Impala out onto the main road. When she couldn't see the car anymore, she headed back up to her room to continue cleaning out her wardrobe.

Back in the Impala, Sam was still giving Dean a suspicious look.

"There better be a reason why you haven't stopped giving me that look since we left." Dean stated without taking his eyes off the darken road. He could feel Sam's eyes on him practically the whole time since he suggested that they take off.

"You lied to Casey."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well I wasn't going to tell her the _real_ reason why we needed to leave."

Sam's brow furrowed as he tried to contemplate what the real reason could possibly be. "Which is?" He asked after drawing up a blank in his brainstorming.

"Lizzie pulled through on my favor." Dean stated as he remembered the USB drive in his pocket.

"So you wanted to leave just to do some research? That doesn't sound like you." Sam stated in a disbelieving tone.

Dean smirked. "Normally I'd agree but this is different."

Sam rolled his eyes as he noticed the motel just down the road. "It's only different because it's Casey and Derek research. In case you've forgotten, we also have to research the case in Waterloo." He stated as he tried to hide his own curiosity when it came to the files that Lizzie had given Dean.

"I haven't forgotten but I figured we could get more done with Casey's laptop doing that research while we looked over the research that Lizzie gave me." Dean retorted back just as he pulled into a parking space, shut the engine off and exited the Impala before Sam could reply back.

Sam grumbled as he made sure the car was locked before he followed Dean the short distance to their room. Dean was already booting up their laptops by the time Sam had gotten back to the room. Sam sighed as he made his way towards his laptop…they had work to do.

* * *

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* * *

_[Mon. June 28, 2004]_

It was just after midnight when Derek decided that it was time for another late night snack. He had been in his room since the Winchesters left, having spent all of his time downstairs with Edwin as they traded intel with one another as their _guests_ spent time with Casey upstairs. The Venturi brothers would have done their _meeting_ in the privacy of Derek's room but he didn't want to risk one of the Winchesters overhearing his conversation with Edwin so he figured that keeping a floor between them was good enough.

Once he and everyone else retired to their rooms for the night, Derek managed to get a proper shower in. He could still feel the chlorine from his swim still sticking to his skin. After practically cleaning himself to the bone, he managed to change into his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before he spent the rest of the night on his computer researching the Queens University website for the accommodations that Devon and the guys were telling him about the previous day. Most of his night was spent between the school's website and the book that they had sent along with his late-acceptance letter.

Making as little noise as he could, Derek set his Queens book down before he started to rummage through the kitchen cabinets for a clean bowl and spoon for his favorite cereal. Many didn't know this but the graduate loved the silence the night had to offer. It was his favorite time of the day as that time is usually when secrets are revealed or when revelations are made on one's life. He always found those thoughts amusing. As the silence surrounded him, nothing disrupted his concentration on the university admission book; sounds of the spoon clinking against his bowl every time he went in for another spoonful of his cereal went unnoticed.

Derek was halfway through his cereal and his book when he took notice to the fact that he wasn't the only one awake. He hadn't thought much about the sounds he heard above him moments before (he just figured that someone needed to use the bathroom) so he was a little surprised when he heard the movements continue down the stairs. He had an idea of who exactly would be joining him soon but the surprise that came with her arrival had _nothing_ to do with her identity.

Not only was Casey awake and disrupting his midnight snack moment but she was wearing a black sports bra with a matching set of yoga pants. He could see a coat of perspiration that was still evident on her skin (he could have sworn that it make her skin skimmer when the light hit her). It took every fiber in him not to blankly stare at her as her upper torso was practically on display again like it was when she was wearing her bikini earlier. He quickly concealed an unwanted groan by eating another spoonful of his cereal before she crossed the kitchen threshold.

"Hey Derek." Casey greeted as she made her way towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

After her brothers left, Casey had continued to sort through her wardrobe. Once that was completed for the day (she would have to ask for final _approval_ from her brothers tomorrow before she truly packed the clothes all up), she decided on a late-night workout as a way to exhaust herself and to make up for the fact that she skipped a workout the previous day due to graduation. She figured that she'd grab a drink before heading in the shower but she didn't expect Derek to be in the kitchen when she ventured downstairs. While she tried to give off the vibe that walking around Derek half naked was normal for their _whatever_, she didn't notice Derek's struggle to _not_ ogle her.

"Hey, what are you doing up so late?" Derek replied back as calmly as he could after swallowing his cereal just as she reached the fridge; his eyes following her movements.

Casey shrugged her shoulders as she reached for an unopened water bottle. "Couldn't sleep so I figured a workout might tire me out." She stated before she straightened up and closed the fridge's door. She walked around Derek before she took the spot right beside him as she uncapped and drank some water. "What'cha reading?"

Derek blinked a couple times as he silently wished for the sudden dirty thoughts to go away. "Just skimming through the book that Queens sent me." He said as he gestured to the book in his hand as she re-capped her water bottle.

She leaned into him just a bit so that she could see what page he was on in the book. "Have you gotten to the courses yet? There are so many _amazing _classes there."

Derek gulped as he gave an affirmative nod; he was about half way through the courses. "I know. Women's Literature, Feminist Theory." He stated as he tried to get himself back on track with his thoughts. _Think of other girls…not Casey!_

Casey rolled her eyes as she turned around to lean against the kitchen island. "Typical. I knew you'd be interested in courses with a high female roster attached to them."

"Well classes are a way to meet the ladies." Derek declared, his eyebrow rose in a suggestive manner. He was silently relieved that they were venturing into familiar territory when it came to their conversations.

Casey scoffed. "Hooking up with girls can't seriously be the only thing on your mind when it comes to university." While her tone came out as disgusted, she was feeling a little hurt on the inside. She already knew that girls would be a social focus for Derek when he's off at Queens but whether he knew about her true feelings or not, the fact was still going to hurt her.

"And why would you care?" He questioned just before eating another spoonful of his cereal.

She couldn't help but groan while she refrained from giving herself a smack in the forehead. "You should be picking courses that you'd excel in Derek, not ones where you'd be focused solely on ogling the girls. You could do that during your free time."

Derek mulled that over for a second before he shook his head. "Nah, I like my way better." He stated after swallowing his food. He would have talked with his mouth full just to spite her but she was already glaring at him, as if she already knew what he was planning to do before he even did.

She sighed. "Of course you would." She softly stated before she maneuvered herself on top of the island before she grabbed the Queens book out of his hands.

Derek's eyes widened at Casey's new position before he reacted to her thieving actions. "Hey! I was reading that."

Casey shrugged her shoulders as she started to flip through the book for a specific page, making sure to mark his previous page before doing so. "I know but I want you to read something and then tell me what you think."

"Again, you care because?" He asked again, his attention completely on her, as his words halted Casey in her page-flipping movements.

"I just want you to get the education you're paying for Derek. And in order to do that, you need to take courses that interest you while fulfilling diploma requirements." She said softly, her head turned slightly towards him as she looked to him. He could see the sincerity and concern in her hazel-green eyes (something he definitely needed to bring up to her sometime in the future) and he didn't like it one bit; he did not want the situation to be getting _that_ serious at the moment. He just graduated…can't he enjoy the moment where he didn't have to worry about stuff like that?

"This coming from a girl who won't tell anyone which school she's going to." He quipped as he tried to lighten the mood between them.

Casey was a little disappointed that Derek switched subjects but she didn't let it show as a smirk showed up on her face. "Why are you so eager to find out?"

Derek gave an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders while Casey's attention was back on his book in her hands. "Can't a guy be curious about where his sister is going to be heading off to in September?"

"I'm not your sister." Casey automatically retorted back, her focus being on the page she was looking for, but she could feel Derek's eyes focusing on her face.

"Sister. Stepsister. Same difference." Derek stated nonchalantly even though he felt like vomiting after muttering that sentence out loud. There is no way those two terms meant the same thing because if that were the case, Derek knew that deep down he was screwed.

Casey stopped what she was doing as she turned to look Derek directly in the eyes; hazel-green meeting chocolate brown. "You sure about that?" Her tone was challenging as she hoped that he would take that statement back. She may not be his true stepsister but she always thought that if something were to ever develop between the two of them, she would hope that he'd risk the social stigma to be with her…that he'd trade everything to be with _her_. But if he only saw her as a sister then there was no use. Whether he knew the truth or not about their legal connection, it wouldn't matter because he'd never see her as anything more than a sister.

Derek, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. If he said that he didn't mean it, he had a feeling that he may be alluding to a lot more than he'd like to at the moment and if he went with what he said before then he had a feeling that things would go downhill between them after that and surprisingly, he didn't want that either.

So he went with option three; he groaned as he snatched the book away from Casey. "Just show me the damn passage already."

Casey snickered as she took his diversion as a slight victory. She couldn't help but think that he couldn't repeat his early statement because he didn't believe in it and since he didn't outright turn the other option down…maybe there was a chance, right?

Before he noticed that her mind was analyzing his lack of an answer, she pointed to the course that she was looking for him. She had come across it when she was reading the same book that Queens had sent to her a few weeks ago. Even though she knew she wasn't going to university, she still wanted to read all the admission books that the different universities sent her to see if it was truly something she'd want to pursue later in her life if she ever got the chance.

"I have no doubt that you'll try out for the hockey team but in order to stay on the team, you need to maintain a certain average like always. Course loads will be tougher and you can't charm your way through them like I've seen you do over the past few years…therefore I figured that you needed courses that captured your interest long enough for you to _want_ to do the work and excel in them." She rambled off as he read over the information that she wanted him to.

When she was reading those books a couple of weeks ago, she couldn't help but think up all these possibilities for herself and for Derek (even though she was more thorough when it came to Derek's choices).

Derek's eyes widened even more when he finished reading the course description. "Is this seriously an offered course?" He asked before he started flipping the pages to find the beginning of the section. Casey had managed to find a cinema studies course that focused on the analysis of different film genres and modes like horror, science fiction, action films and surprisingly enough, there was a course that focused on the different representations that films used when it came to the topic of sex (which was the course description that Casey pointed out to him).

Casey nodded. Once she had seen the cinema studies' courses, she instantly knew that it was something that Derek could be interested in. "In a few years, yeah, since it requires a few prerequisites but when I checked those out too, it looked like they could interest you too." She explained as she pointed to the prerequisites on the page that he was currently looking at.

"You seemed to have my future planned out for me Case." Derek simply stated as he looked over the other courses in the cinema studies program. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder why his stepsister was using her keener skills to help _him_ out. Sure she was a very thoughtful and considerate person (to an annoying degree even) but she usually didn't help him until he came to her at the last minute, like with their exam preps.

Casey shrugged as she grabbed the water bottle that she had left on the island beside her. "It's just a suggestion Der. After all, I won't always be there when you need help at the last minute to figure it all out." She finished off by taking a needed sip of her drink.

Derek's eyes widened just a bit as her words caused him to remember something similar from his dream. "_Before you know it, she'll be out of your life for good__._"He forgot whether he heard Devon or Alex say it but he knew it was the last thing he heard before he woke up.

The Venturi graduate shook his head to rid himself of the dream before Casey realized that his mind had wondered off. "I doubt that but it wouldn't hurt to hear you out."

It was Casey's turn for her eyes to widen as she gave her pseudo-stepbrother an incredulous look. "Did I just hear you correctly?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Don't rub it in."

The hunter couldn't help but snicker as she took that as her cue to start talking about her _plan_ for Derek's education. She first started talking about the possibility of him getting into the cinema studies program since he showed interests in films as well as the many times that he's mentioned that he enjoys being the director (she had brought up the wedding video and their sociology project as prime examples). She even labeled off a few more courses that she thought would interest him by memory, while directing him in the book as he followed along. Derek asked Casey questions with minimal interruptions to her _presentation_ but he had to hand it to her, she was very thorough yet concise that it kept his attention.

Casey then moved on to the possibility of Derek getting into the kinesiology program since it would be connected to his athletic activities. She didn't bother to tell him that it could teach him how to take better care of himself when it came to his body; she figured that he'd tune her out if she started rambling to him about its academic merit.

"And you figured all this out from reading the Queens book?" He questioned once she decided it was time for her to have a mini water break.

She shrugged before she brought her drink down from her lips. "I guess. A lot of the other schools could give you the same combos though so…" She trailed off, not really sure what he wanted her to say as she looked out the kitchen window into the darkness from where she sat on the kitchen island. She could still feel Derek's eyes on her and it wasn't until she turned to face him did she see the quizzical look that he was giving her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders, his mind still trying to figure her actions out. Since his mind wasn't really coming up with much he decided that asking her was probably the only way that he was going to get his answers. "I just don't get why you focused on _my_ education instead of figuring out _your_ education for the next four years."

Casey sighed, not really sure how she should feel about Derek's constant questions about her plans for September. _Did he want to know if we would be going to Queens together or if I was going somewhere far away from him? _She couldn't help but wonder as she thought of a response.

"Sometimes it's easier to focus on someone else's life than on your own." She cryptically stated which only earned her an arched eyebrow look from Derek. "I don't want to talk about it." She stated with a groan as she took another sip from her water bottle.

Derek gave a soft laugh as he folded the page in his book before closing it. "Well that's a first. Usually I can't get you to shut up about your problems."

Casey gasped but it was clear on her expression that she wasn't offended, which was a surprise to Derek. "Is that your way of telling me that I talk too much Venturi?"

Derek smirked. "And she got it in one."

"You're unbelievable you know that." She declared with a scoff.

He chuckled once again while leaning a little closer to her. "You gotta admit, it definitely keeps life interesting."

"I could think of a few other things that would keep life interesting." She mumbled under her breath before she drank the final drops of her water.

"Care to share?" Derek asked, having heard her mumbled words.

Casey shook her head. "Not a chance."

"You're just full of secrets lately aren't you?"

Casey shrugged her shoulders, a clear sign to Derek that she wasn't going to spill anything else to him. He rolled his eyes because of this before Casey brought Derek's attention back to the Queens book with a simple point.

"You should really look into courses that _interest_ you Derek…the next four years is where you form the foundation of your future." Her voice had returned to a more serious tone with her attention shifting between her fellow graduate and the book in his hands.

"And here I was wondering when the lecture would continue with you." He quipped back automatically before she got into the _really_ heavy future stuff once again.

The hunter rolled her eyes before they made contact with his once again. "Will it help you to know that girls are a lot more attracted to successful men than to those that amount to nothing?"

"That's where hockey comes in Case." He stated as if it were the most obvious idea in the world.

"Accidents can happen though Der. You can't just stop at that…work for an academic program that could lead you somewhere if hockey doesn't pan out."

Derek closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before he let a sigh escape him. "Why are you so adamant about this?"

When he opened his eyes again, he came face to face with one of the hunter's softest expressions; an expression he's only seen directed at him during those rare occasions when they had _moments_ like these. "I won't always be here and it would ease my mind if you're actually taking your future seriously."

She withheld the reflex to giggle when she noticed Derek's eyes widening when she leaned closer to him; a total victory when she noticed that he wasn't pulling away from her. His eyes were completely focused on her with his attention shifting between her eyes and her lips.

"You have great potential Derek…now's the time to _embrace_ it." She whispered to him in a way that sent shivers down his spine as he felt her cool breath flow over his face. The hunter felt an overwhelming need to just risk it all and kiss him then but she didn't. Before he could truly react, the hunter leaned back and jumped off the kitchen island, tossed her empty water bottle into the recycling bin before turning her attention back to him. "See you around lunch Venturi." She stated with a smile before she headed upstairs to take a shower.

It wasn't until Derek heard the shower running did he snap back to reality since his mind was still processing the close proximity between them moments ago. Those moments of close proximity were becoming very frequent for them lately; he couldn't help but notice before he let loose a frustrated groan as he ran his free hand through his head. _There is no way things are going to be back to normal after that, _he angrily thought before he remembered his forgotten cereal.

* * *

**Meanwhile: **

Sam groaned as he leaned against his chair, his hands rubbing against his tired eyes. "You know what I learned from reading her file?"

"What?" Dean replied as his eyes were still glued to his laptop screen as he read through his own files.

"The only time Casey was ever her true self was whenever she was with Derek." Sam declared as he started to scroll down Casey's file that Lizzie had given Dean. He noticed that the only time that their sister was a Winchester was when she was with Derek; her McDonald façade barely present.

The brothers had spent the last few hours going over the individual files. They hadn't even touched the combined file as they wanted to memorize the facts of Casey and Derek's individual behaviors over the past few years before they read over their combined encounters.

"How so?" Dean questioned as he fixed his attention onto his brother.

"Every little slip she had in being Casey McDonald was always made when she was with Derek without anyone knowing it."

"Because they'd all assume that their fighting was the reason why she was reacting the way she was." Dean added, knowing where Sam's thoughts were leading to.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Exactly and all those slips were subconscious from the looks of it."

"Anything else?"

The younger Winchester shook his head from side to side. "Other than the fact that I _really_ need to watch what I say around Lizzie and Edwin, that's pretty much the gist of the file. What about you?"

Dean's hand scratched the back of his neck as he thought of his answer. "Well I don't think Casey's feelings are one-sided. Derek has shown behavior in the past that would suggest that he does _care_ for Casey as something more."

"To what extent is that something more though?" Sam questioned as his laptop was opening up the other two files for him.

Dean groaned. "It's debatable for some moments but for others it's quite obvious in Derek's file." He really didn't know how to explain it really. The file had plenty of notes pertaining to Derek's habits and behavioral patterns in practically everything he did from school, hockey and dating [as well as descriptive notes of when he showed signs of being unpredictable when it came to the patterns.] There wasn't much about Casey's influence but there were many notes that referred to the _Dasey file_. Dean had a hunch that Sam came across the same notes in Casey's file.

"I guess it's time to read over the combined file." Sam suggested just as the file in question finished loading up onto his laptop.

Dean sighed as he started to upload the two files onto his own laptop. "Let's get started then."

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**A/N #3: **That's the end of day 2...how was that? I hope it was worth the wait. What did you think of the interaction between Dean and Marti? I just couldn't help myself...I love it when Dean interacts with kids. What about the infamous Futuritis kitchen scene between Dasey? I hope you don't mind the alterations but I just had to include that episode's scene somehow into my story. Oh and in case if the connection wasn't clear; Nathaniel, Andrew and Diana are the middle names of Dean, Sam and Casey (respectively). **Let me know what you think in a review! Please!**

**A/N #4: **I just wanted to let you know that I posted another _story_, **"A Moment In Time"**, that features many challenge drabbles/oneshots from an assortment of fandoms, including _Life With Derek_ and _Supernatural_ (as well as _Vampire Diaries _and _Nikita_ at the moment). The story's category will change depending on which fandom the latest update belongs to so I hope you still check it out when it changes categories!

**A/N #5: **Alright, finally note...what do you think of season 7 so far for _Supernatural_? Once again, thank you for all your wonderful support for this story...I truly am grateful to know that you're sticking around to see what happens next! Unfortunately updates will be slower (again) than usually because of school in a week...I hope you all understand! **Have a great holiday break everyone!**

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**Originally Published: **December 26, 2011


	21. Ch 20: Packing Away The Memories

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 20: Packing Away The Memories**

**A/N #1:** I DID IT! I'm so sorry for the delay (classics courses have _so_ much required readings) BUT I managed to get a chapter done today even though it's not as long as you all are use to with this story. Either way, I just had to post for **Jensen Ackles' birthday! **

**A/N #2: **Just a quick thanks to all of you for sticking with me and leaving me your thoughts. It truly does mean the world to me as each one puts a smile on my face. =D Now I'll shut up and let you enjoy (I apologize in advance for any grammatical/spelling errors).

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**Q/A: **So an anonymous review asked about Casey's second tattoo and since I couldn't personally message the answer, here goes. At this point in the story, Casey Winchester has **two** tattoos; the flaming pentagram tattoo on her mid back and the family tattoo that she has on her side just over her ribcage (which is easily hidden by her bra). Further information on her tattoos can be found on this story's master list on _Livejournal_ (my homepage link) where it would lead you to the picture link that shows you the tattoos and where they are on Casey's body.

* * *

**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the 270th Reviewer and it goes to anonymous reviewer **7tftty** while the 285th Reviewer shout out goes to anonymous reviewer **jfejb**.

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

* * *

**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

* * *

**Reference to _Life With Derek _Episodes: **"Happy New School Year"

**Reference to _Supernatural _Episodes (quotes or outfits): **N/A

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Fright Night" (database)

* * *

**LAST TIME:**

When he opened his eyes again, he came face to face with one of the hunter's softest expressions; an expression he's only seen directed at him during those rare occasions when they had _moments_ like these. "I won't always be here and it would ease my mind if you're actually taking your future seriously."

She withheld the reflex to giggle when she noticed Derek's eyes widening when she leaned closer to him; a total victory when she noticed that he wasn't pulling away from her. His eyes were completely focused on her with his attention shifting between her eyes and her lips.

"You have great potential Derek…now's the time to _embrace_ it." She whispered to him in a way that sent shivers down his spine as he felt her cool breath flow over his face. The hunter felt an overwhelming need to just risk it all and kiss him then but she didn't. Before he could truly react, the hunter leaned back and jumped off the kitchen island, tossed her empty water bottle into the recycling bin before turning her attention back to him. "See you around lunch Venturi." She stated with a smile before she headed upstairs to take a shower.

It wasn't until Derek heard the shower running did he snap back to reality since his mind was still processing the close proximity between them moments ago. Those moments of close proximity were becoming very frequent for them lately; he couldn't help but notice before he let loose a frustrated groan as he ran his free hand through his head. _There is no way things are going to be back to normal after that, _he angrily thought before he remembered his forgotten cereal.

***SC***

Dean's hand scratched the back of his neck as he thought of his answer. "Well I don't think Casey's feelings are one-sided. Derek has shown behavior in the past that would suggest that he does _care_ for Casey as something more."

"To what extent is that something more though?" Sam questioned as his laptop was opening up the other two files for him.

Dean groaned. "It's debatable for some moments but for others it's quite obvious in Derek's file." He really didn't know how to explain it really. The file had plenty of notes pertaining to Derek's habits and behavioral patterns in practically everything he did from school, hockey and dating. There wasn't much about Casey's influence but there were many notes that referred to the _Dasey file_. Dean had a hunch that Sam came across the same notes in Casey's file.

"I guess it's time to read over the combined file." Sam suggested just as the file in question finished loading up onto his laptop.

Dean sighed as he started to upload the two files onto his own laptop. "Let's get started then."

* * *

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

* * *

_[Mon. June 28, 2004]_

No matter how late the hunter went to bed, she always found herself waking up at the crack of dawn. On those nights where she got little to no sleep, it really irritated her but she couldn't help it. Ever since she was a kid she would have to wake up and be alert on command when they had to hit the road or she'd have to be up really early to train. She never really minded before…until now.

Casey wasn't able to sleep until 1:30am last night so she wasn't pleased to have her biological clock waking her up at dawn. Her encounter with Derek, followed by her shower hadn't drained her enough to allow her to sleep immediately once her head hit the pillow. She blamed all the excitement and mild adrenaline that her brothers brought back into her life on it. Her close proximity to Derek might have had something to do with it too.

The youngest Winchester didn't bother going back to sleep as she grabbed her necessities and headed for the bathroom once again. The hunter didn't bother to shower yet either so she immediately headed downstairs afterwards to get a jump start on making breakfast for the family. Nora and George still had to go to work while the younger kids had half a school day since it would be their last one for the year. By the time lunch would roll around, the three youngsters would have their report cards in hand and a bunch of 'goodbyes' and 'see you during the summer break' under their belts. This would give Casey free reign to pack up her room without any distractions. She didn't see Derek as a distraction since she knew he'd still be asleep all morning.

It wasn't long after she had started making breakfast did an already-dressed Nora join her in the kitchen, noticing her niece's presence mid-yawn.

"Morning Sweetie." Nora greeted as she made her way towards the island counter.

"Good morning." The hunter greeted back with a smile as she handed her aunt a cup of coffee.

Nora nodded her thanks before she took a cautious sip of the caffeinated beverage. She gave a sigh of relief for the perfect brew in her cup. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Making breakfast." Casey automatically stated as she moved fluidly around the kitchen. She paused in her step when she noticed Nora's raised eyebrow. The hunter sighed. "I always wake up at this time…I can't help it."

Nora made a sound of recognition before she took another sip of her drink. "So what are your plans for today?"

The graduate relayed her day plans to her aunt while mentioning that Sam and Dean would be dropping by just before lunch. Nora nodded at the appropriate times while slightly relieved when Casey offered to pick up the younger kids when it came time to do so.

Once all that was said, Casey became a little hesitant to ask permission just as she was dishing everything out onto the serving plates; fully aware of the new sounds of footsteps that emanated from upstairs.

"What is it dear?" Nora questioned, having caught on to her niece's hesitance.

"Well I was wondering if I could take Liz, Ed and Marti out somewhere after lunch. You know…kind of a last bonding thing before I leave." Casey asked in a whisper before she grabbed the appropriate plates from the cabinet and the appropriate utensils from the kitchen drawers.

Nora's gaze softened at the graduate before she gave an affirmative nod. "That's fine Sweetie but will you be home for dinner? Would it just be the four of you?" She questioned as she got up from her stool to offer her assistance.

"Sam and Dean will probably come when I ask them and Derek could come too if he wants since I'll probably need his car too. As for dinner, I'm not sure. We could be home for it or we could all meet you and George at a restaurant or something." Casey answered as she and Nora walked to the dining table with their hands full with her plates or of food.

Nora nodded as she thought the idea over a bit more. "I like that restaurant idea." She really did…since that would mean that she didn't have to cook.

"What restaurant idea?" Lizzie questioned as she landed on the bottom step, having heard the last part of her mom and cousin's conversation.

"For dinner tonight honey." Nora stated as she placed her plates onto the table before she turned to Casey. "And you have my permission."

Casey smiled as she placed the plate of scrambled eggs onto the table before she headed back into the kitchen to grab the rest of the food.

Nora had given Lizzie the task of setting up the table before she headed back into the kitchen. She wasn't surprised when she walked in to see Casey slapping George's hand away from the crispy bacon she had prepared…she was wondering when her husband would be joining them. She let loose a chuckle as she headed over to George to give him a peck on the cheek before dragging him to the dining table. She knew if she didn't then he'd get into the food before anyone else.

"Did Casey cook all of this?" George whispered to his wife as she led him to his seat; not surprised to see that Edwin and Marti have joined Lizzie at the table.

Nora nodded as she patted her husband's shoulder.

George sighed. "She really needs to learn how to sleep in." He teased as he resisted the urge to dig into the delicious breakfast before him. Sure he wanted Casey to get some more sleep but it didn't mean he didn't appreciate her cooking such lavish breakfasts, which were only reserved for the weekends.

"If I did that then you'd all be stuck eating cereal right now." Casey quipped as she brought in the plate containing the bacon strips and the toasted bread. Nora was busying herself by pouring drinks for the kids before she took a seat at the table.

Her words got a few chuckles from the family.

"Touche but once again, thank you for making breakfast." George stated just as everyone was passing the serving dishes around so that everyone could get a piece of each dish onto their plates. There was enough for the six of them to have seconds if they wanted. "Although you really should be taking advantage of the chance to sleep in…Derek seems to be doing that." George added in a few moments later after taking a few bites of his crispy bacon.

"But he always does Daddy." Marti piped in as she nibbled on her toast. Lizzie and Edwin snickered due to the truth of her words as Nora smiled out of amusement.

George laughed in agreement. "That is true Pumpkin."

Casey smiled; she was definitely going to miss mornings like this. "It's no big deal George."

That's all that was said on the topic before everyone was discussing what they had planned for the day and making sure that everything was accounted for with pick-ups and drop-offs. The youngsters knew that Casey was picking them up once they were done with school and they got really excited when Nora said that Casey had a surprise for them that afternoon. Before Edwin and Marti could shoot off a number of questions to uncover the surprise, Nora managed to slip in that the family would be going out for dinner too. No one objected to that while they finished off their breakfast.

It was only a second after the last member was done eating was everyone moving in a frenzied stated. The hunter thought the morning chaos alone might wake up the sleeping graduate above her so she found it amusing when she saw no signs of him.

The younger kids were rushing to brush their teeth and getting their bags before they rushed to put their shoes on. George and Nora were also rushing to get the last of their things while Casey slowly walked between the dining table and the kitchen, transferring all that needed to be cleaned into the kitchen sink.

Many loud farewells were exchanged before all was quiet in the McDonald-Venturi household.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Casey walked back into her bedroom after spending thirty minutes cleaning up the mess she and the family had created during breakfast. She would have been done sooner but she couldn't help but take the time in doing the small cleaning action…she knew she wasn't going to be doing it anytime soon. Living on the road usually eliminated kitchen duties when you're basically jumping from diner to diner.

She pressed the palm of her hands into her closed eyes as she willed those thoughts away.

_This is not helping me. Suck it up and get to work! _She viciously thought to herself before she opened her eyes once again as she exhaled deeply. She needed to get to work with her bedroom.

Before the hunter could start sorting her room out, she noticed her cell phone light was blinking. Since she recognized the phone as the one her father had given her, she rushed to check the message. She sighed out of relief when it was only a text message from Sam.

**_Morning Case, what time did you want us to drop by? –SW_**

Casey checked the clock before she started texting her reply.

**_In about an hour or two. I do need some help packing up my room. –CW_**

**_I'll wake Dean in a short while before heading over. –SW_**

**_Good and I hope you don't mind but I wanted to take the younger kids out after lunch. Would you and Dean be up for it?" –CW_**

**_Bonding attempt? –SW_**

**_Would you say no if I said yes? –CW_**

**_I'm in either way. I'll see you in a bit. –SW_**

**_Thank you. –CW_**

After sending the last text message to her brother, Casey switched the phone to vibrate before placing it on her night table. She then grabbed her Ipod, picked her playlist before strapping it to the waistband of her pajama shorts. With one headphone in her ear and the wires out of her way, Casey was ready to take her room apart…or in this case before she figured out a way to pack it all up with it looking like she's moving out.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

By the time the Winchester brothers showed up, Casey had already split her room up in a way she thought would get the most stuff in the least amount of boxes. All her school work would go into one box (maybe two or three with the amount of notes she had taken to ace those classes), all the books she managed to collect over the past few years would go in another box, clothes she wasn't bringing with her on the road would be in another and the rest of the stuff would be packed together for another box.

She wanted the room to be as bare as it had been when she first moved in it. If anyone asked her, and she knew they would, she would say that it was only fair to give the room back to Nora and George since she wouldn't be using it so much which would give the allusion that she was going off to university (which was fine with her for now).

"I thought you were meant to be cleaning up in here?" Dean questioned the moment his eyes hit her covered bed since it looked like it was the most disorganized pile out of the bunch.

Casey shrugged. "I am but it's difficult when I have no boxes to put the stuff in." She teased with a hand on her hip.

Dean rolled his eyes as Sam handed her the cardboard boxes they managed to pick up for her. She smiled her thanks before she ventured further into her room while her brothers stayed at her bedroom's threshold.

Sam scanned the disaster that was her room, completely amazed that this mess was in a very organized state less than twenty-four hours ago. "So how can we help?" He asked as he slowly stepped into her room, not wanting to step on anything too important.

Casey's smirk grew as she took a seat in her desk chair.

Dean's eyes widened the moment he saw his sister's smirk. "Nice job Sam, now you've done it." He stated with a groan. He knew that he was going to help with his sister's packing but that smirk just screamed out that trouble was to come.

Casey laughed as she started putting one of the boxes together. "Careful Dean or you may be packing things you want nothing to do with."

Dean gulped, his hand now rubbing the back of his neck. "On second thought, I'd rather research the Waterloo case." He really didn't want to think of what items _those_ might be.

Casey snickered. "You can do both."

Dean groaned again while Sam laughed as he took one of the folded boxes and headed for the space by her closet. Dean moved away from the door a few minutes later as he too grabbed a box and headed for the last empty spot by her bed.

It wasn't long before the siblings had a system working for them. After Casey had set up her hunting databases for the Waterloo area, she went to work on packing up the clothes that she wasn't planning on taking with her. She wasn't sure if Lizzie would want them considering what happened last summer but she'd store them in the labeled boxes just in case.

While Casey was dealing with that, Dean was working on packing away her school binders in one box and her textbooks in another. He had suggested at one point that she should just toss it all out since she won't be using them again any time soon but she immediately protested with the excuse that Lizzie or the others might need it if and when they took those classes. He sighed after that before getting back to work; feeling both proud and annoyed by that answer.

Sam's packing job consisted of all the books and other trinkets that she had around her room. Anything that was placed on counter or shelf tops were meant for Sam to do away with. There wasn't much in this category but the middle Winchester figured that was because most of it was in the undecided pile; the one currently on Casey's bed. That pile held things she would be packing for the road as well as some things she wasn't sure about (Sam just knew she'd be asking about those later).

Before they knew it, time was just flying by for the hunters. Their talks of old memories and of old haunts with some banter thrown in had them packing with ease as Casey's Ipod provided some background entertainment. The siblings were always a great team together so it was no surprise that the job of packing would have them working effortlessness. There were times when the brothers asked about certain items they would come across which would lead to some silly story being told.

They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and before they knew it, the only items that truly needed to be packed were the items on Casey's bed.

Dean wasn't very happy about that pile but he let that slide when Casey had removed her weapons duffel from her closet safe. As he checked and cleaned her stash, Sam helped Casey deal with the pile. If her laptop had gotten any new hits pertaining to the case, Sam would be dealing with that instead but since they've had no such luck in that search, the middle Winchester was _forced_ to voice his opinion on whether certain articles of her clothing would be suitable with their hunting lifestyle.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It turns out that the huge pile wasn't so huge after all. With some input from Dean (yet all his concentration was on the weapons in his hands), Casey was able to pack clothes that she could easier work the job in; whether it be the actual chase or the professional side of the business. She had a couple of jeans, a couple of tank tops, t-shirts, polo shirts, long sleeve shirts (that could easily be the female versions of what her brothers usually wear) as well as some nicer looking tops, pants and skirts for when she has to look professional.

Now when it came to the shoes, that's when Casey had to fight for the ones that she wanted to keep. The brothers didn't see the point as to why she would need so many; all she needed was a good pair that she could run in. Casey wouldn't settle for that so she explained why a specific pair of shoes _needed_ to be in her road trip stuff. In the end, Casey got to keep her black Chucks, her regular sneakers, her combat boots, her knee-high riding style boots (the fact that she could conceal a weapon in those had the brothers nodding in approval) and two types of heels for those professional moments.

When that was all cleared up, Casey had just enough time to take a shower before she would have to pick the kids up from school. The brothers didn't really speak until the youngest Winchester was in the shower.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing Dean?" Sam questioned as he thought of all the memories he had to pack away for Casey. Not only did her belongings hold a story behind it but the past few hours have been a real eye opener for him as he heard Casey get lost in her memories.

"When it comes to what exactly?" Dean countered as he finished cleaning the last of Casey's weapons.

When he heard no response, he looked up to see that his brother was glaring at him.

Dean sighed. "Her mind is made up Sammy, whether we bring her with us now or not, she's going to catch up with us eventually. I rather have her _with_ us from the start." He explained as he slowly placed the weapons back into the duffel bag. He knew that when Casey wanted something, she'd do anything in her power to get it yet she'd always do it in a way that would minimize all consequences that the action may cause. It was always like her to think of others before thinking of herself. If she wanted to come on the road with them, Casey will come along. The fact that she was a minor before was what kept her with Nora for the past few years but now that she was a legal adult, there really was no point in telling her what to do. He wouldn't have been surprised if she showed up in their motel room just after her eighteenth birthday but with her whole skewed age deal in this town, that wasn't a possibility.

Sam shrugged his shoulders before he headed towards her laptop for another routine check. "I guess but she had a _good_ thing going for her here."

"It's her choice and whether we like it or not, she wants to be a part of this. She's not going to fully relax until she knows that we're safe too." Dean stated as he returned the duffel back into her closet safe before he joined his brother. "Anything new?" The older hunter question just after the laptop beeped.

Sam nodded as he clicked the cursor in a few places before quickly skimming through the latest search result. "It looks like a missing persons report was just filed…"

"But…" Dean interjected when Sam's previous sentence seemed to trail off.

"_But_ I have no clue if her disappearance matches up with our case. There are no specifics being listed." Sam explained after reading the report a second time. It only provided the woman's name, height, weight and what she looked like when someone last spotted her. It wasn't much for them to go on since there wasn't an obvious connection between the names their father had given them.

"We'll look into it tonight."

Sam groaned as his hand ran through his shaggy hair in a frustrating manner. "It won't do any good Dean. Our best option is to be _in_ Waterloo right now."

Dean sighed. "Casey's not going to like that."

"I know. What do we do?"

"We can't tell her yet." Dean stated through his gritted teeth. He didn't like it but he knew it had to be done.

"But Dean…"

Dean turned his head to give his brother a look that dared him to say anything else. "No Sam, we _can't_ have her thinking about Waterloo while she's supposed to be spending the day with her pseudo-siblings. We'll tell her tomorrow alright?"

Sam was about to protest against that plan since he knew that Casey would be even more pissed at them if she found out that they lied to her but Dean's glare had the middle Winchester shutting his mouth. It was never smooth sailing for the middle sibling…especially in their family.

"I guess." Sam said in defeat just as he heard the shower's water stop. Before Dean could even tell him, Sam was already deleting the missing person's report from the results engine. After that was taken care of, Sam worked on shutting the laptop down while Dean went back to moving the boxes so that they weren't in the way. He figured that stacking them beside her desk would be fine for the moment.

Twenty minutes after ending her shower, Casey was back in her room and ready to go. Her hair was still wet but it left her hair in soft ringlets while she sported a simple two layer tank top, her jean capri pants and her black converses already on her feet. She placed her makeup bag back on her dresser before tossing her pajamas onto her bed.

"Ready to go?" Casey questioned as she grabbed her purse.

Both brothers nodded as they followed Casey out of her room. "Are you sure that he would want to tag along?" Sam questioned as they got to the bottom of the stairs.

While packing, they had come to the conclusion that Casey and Dean would go to pick up the kids while Sam was left to deal with Derek. When asked why Casey couldn't pick them up herself, she said that Derek always hid his car keys before going to bed and she really didn't want to venture into his room to dig for them.

Casey sighed as she waited for Dean to put his shoes on. "Yes he would, just make sure you mention Marti spending the day with me. He'll instantly tag along because he doesn't want Marti to be _brainwashed_ by me." She explained which earned her a scoff from Dean.

"I still think that's ridiculous." He stated as he shared a knowing look with his brother. They had a feeling that Derek would join them, not because of Marti but because they would be spending the day with his siblings _and_ Casey.

"Just do it. We'll be back before you know it!" Casey shouted as she rushed out of the front door after checking her watch.

The brothers chuckled before Dean followed his sister out to his car while Sam shut the door behind him.

The hunter took a deep breath before he headed back upstairs with no idea how to wake Derek up.

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_He knew he was staring yet he couldn't help it. She was the same yet completely different since the last time he saw her. _

_She was still sitting on top of the island's counter, flipping through his Queens' book just after snatching it away from him. She was still clad in her black sports bra yet she was wearing a matching set of yoga shorts, not pants like he knew she was wearing before. _

_Her skin was still shimmering in the light with the column of her neck completely exposed to him as her hair was dangling over the shoulder that was farthest from him. _

_He knew he was dreaming. There was no doubt about it yet the attraction he felt when this first happened seemed to be a bit more intensified now, like his subconscious didn't want him in any way to ignore what it was he was feeling. He didn't like that because he really wanted to bury his head into the exposed crook of her neck right about now. _

Why not? _He thought on a whim before he paused to actually think about it. If he was dreaming, why not do what he couldn't when he was awake? What real harm could it do? _

_Without a second thought, Derek yanked the book out of Casey's hands as he smoothly moved so that he was standing between her legs. _

"_De-rek!" She protested as she tried to reach for the book. "I wanted you to see something in there." She explained with a slight pout since he had stopped her hands from moving by placing his own on top of hers. _

_Derek chuckled as he looked Casey over. "I'd rather do something else if you don't mind." He stated with a smirk gracing his lips. _

_Casey's pout immediately vanished as her own smirk made an appearance while she leaned forward just a bit.__ "Really? Anything that I'd be interested in?"_

"_Only one way to find out." Derek whispered before he closed the distance between them as he crashed his lips onto hers. _

_The kiss was slow at first but it didn't take long for it to heat up between the two of them. She tried to move her hands so that she could thread them through his hair but it took a few tries before he got the message and released his hold on her. His own hands slid up her arm, sending jolts of electricity down his spine every time his fingertips grazed her skin, as it made its way to her cheek while his other hand wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. _

_Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist, securing his position to her as her hands continued to thread through his hair. He couldn't help but groan when he felt one of her hands slip under his shirt as his own hand slowly moved up her back; wanting to touch as much skin as he can. _

_She leaned her head back as she let lose a breathy moan which prompted him to spread kisses across her jaw and down her neck. When he got to the crook of her neck, he simply stopped as he started to suck on her pulse point; wanting to leave some sort of mark on her. _

_Casey moaned once again with his name leaving her lips in the most satisfying way possible. He loved it when she screeched his name out of anger but now, after hearing her say it with a moan, he was just dying to find out how it sounded when she screamed it out of pure pleasure. _

_Before he could finish his handy work on her neck, he found himself being pulled away from his spot as her lips fused with his once again. She kissed him hungrily as her hand slipped from under his shirt to his belt buckle as she gave it a few tugs. _

"_Case." He grunted into her lips before she slipped her tongue into his mouth where they continued to fight for dominance. _

_The brunette moaned into his mouth as she felt his grip on her hips tighten as he tried to pull her closer to his body. When they needed to breathe, instead of their lips finding each other once again, she trailed many tiny kisses along his jaw as she made his way towards his ear. _

"_Derek…" She whispered in a way that sent a pleasurable shiver down his spy. _

_His hands continued to roam her body as his need to feel her skin intensified. _

"_Derek…"_

_He was too absorbed in his Casey-consuming thoughts to even realize that _that_ wasn't Casey's voice that just called his name. _

"DEREK!"

Derek bolted up in his bed the moment he heard his name being shouted and he was surprised to see Sam Winchester standing at the end of his bed, arms crossed over his chest with a smug smile plastered on his face.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Derek growled out as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He just knew that he wouldn't be going back to bed…or to that dream anytime soon.

Sam chuckled; his smile instantly turned into a smirk that could rival his brother's. "I think a better question would be; was that _Casey's_ name I heard you moaning out in your sleep just now?"

Derek's hands stilled in their rubbing action before he gave the taller man a wide-eyed look.

_Oh fuck!_

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**A/N #3: **And there you have it! What is Derek to do now? I apologize if this chapter seemed like it went a little...faster than usual but I still hope that it was up to your liking. What do you think Casey has planned for the day? How do you think the car ride went for Casey and Dean? What's Sam going to do with his new Derek-discovery? **Let me know in a review...please!**

**A/N #4:** Alright so another heads up with my school status since it affects the amount of time I allow myself to write my stories. Now I have 4 essays due this month alone before I have to study my ass off for the 4 final exams that I have in April. *sigh* Sometimes I wonder if the profs just plan to have everything due the same time (since 3 essays are due in the very same week). Do you wonder that too at times? Anyways, wish me luck and I wish those who are in the same situation as me some luck as well.

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**Originally Published: **March 1, 2012

**Edited: **March 3, 2012


	22. Ch 21: Family Bonding

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 21: Family Bonding  
**

**A/N #1: **HEY EVERYONE! I'm so sorry about the long wait, I really don't know what happened but I will say that I got distracted from a few of the stories on this site, school distracted me and some 'family bonding' got in the way of my writing. It's definitely not easy getting back in the zone of writing once you've exited it for a bit.

**A/N #2: **Anyways, school is about to start up again for me next week so I really wanted to post something before then so I apologize for the short(er) chapter since you'll be use to long chapters for this particular story. I'm sorry for any grammatical errors or run-on sentences; those I'm trying to work on so bare with me plus I edit my own work so I tend to miss some things after so many re-readings so I apologize if I miss anything.

**A/N #3: **Thank you so much for all you readers for sticking by me and an extra thanks to everyone who's taken the time to leave me their thoughts in a review. Your words are encouraging and it truly blows my mind when I hear your thoughts about my story. Thank you so much for getting me past the 300-review mark, its a milestone I truly thought I'd never reach so thank you for all the support everyone!

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **300****th**** Reviewer** goes to **Alanna-Banana1987**.

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to _Life With Derek _Episodes: **"Lies My Brother Told Me," "Misadventures in Babysitting," "March Break," "Freaked Out Friday" (slightly) and "Two Timing Derek".

**Reference to _Supernatural _Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Asylum/Scarecrow" (similar setup)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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**LAST TIME:**

"Just do it. We'll be back before you know it!" Casey shouted as she rushed out of the front door after checking her watch.

The brothers chuckled before Dean followed his sister out to his car while Sam shut the door behind him.

The hunter took a deep breath before he headed back upstairs with no idea how to wake Derek up.

***SC***

_Before he could finish his handy work on her neck, he found himself being pulled away from his spot as her lips fused with his once again. She kissed him hungrily as her hand slipped from under his shirt to his belt buckle as she gave it a few tugs. _

"_Case." He grunted into her lips before she slipped her tongue into his mouth where they continued to fight for dominance. _

_The brunette moaned into his mouth as she felt his grip on her hips tighten as he tried to pull her closer to his body. When they needed to breathe, instead of their lips finding each other once again, she trailed many tiny kisses along his jaw as she made his way towards his ear. _

***SC***

Sam chuckled; his smile instantly turned into a smirk that could rival his brother's. "I think a better question would be; was that _Casey's_ name I heard you moaning out in your sleep just now?"

Derek's hands stilled in their rubbing action before he gave the taller man a wide-eyed look.

_Oh fuck!_

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_[Mon. June 28, 2004]_

_This could not be happening! _Derek angrily thought to himself as he tried to come up with some sort of excuse yet he was coming up short. He blamed it on the fact that he had just been woken up so abruptly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The teenager mumbled as he finished wiping the sleep from his eyes; he decided to go for the denial route for the moment.

Sam scoffed. "Nice try. You're lucky that it wasn't Casey that came in to wake you up." He quipped and he was instantly pleased to see the teenager tense up when he mentioned the brunette.

_He did have a point. _Derek thought as he tried to avoid looking at his unwanted visitor. He didn't want to know what would have happened if Casey had caught him moaning her name because one thing was for sure; that dream _wasn't_ going to leave his mind anytime soon. He could swear that parts of his skin still felt like it was tingling from her previous touch.

Derek huffed. "It wouldn't have mattered since I _didn't_ say her name." He firmly argued with a glare at the older man.

"Are you trying to convince me of that or yourself?" Sam questioned with a raised eyebrow.

The teenager rolled his eyes, deciding that he didn't have to defend his actions or reasons to a guy he didn't know. "Whatever…now is there a reason why you're in here?"

"No need to be rude." Sam stated with a chuckle before he crossed his arms across his chest. "Casey wanted me to give you a heads up on today's plans while she's out getting the kids from school with Dean."

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Why does she need Dean? She can drive herself."

"True but she mentioned something about you hiding the keys to your car…" He trailed off when Derek snorted before he tried to cover it as a cough. Sam rolled his eyes before he continued, "…and since Dean rarely lets anyone drive his car, he went with her."

"Makes sense." Derek stated with a nod since he knew full well that Casey had given up on finding his hiding spot a long time ago since he always managed to change it on her. "So what about this plan of hers?"

Sam kept it brief when he explained to Derek about Casey's plan to take the younger kids out. He mentioned the dinner outing afterwards before he delved right into where Casey had in mind for this post-lunch outing.

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"So how was your day?" Casey immediately questioned the young trio just as Dean was pulling back onto the road.

Edwin scoffed. "Who cares? We're finally free!" He exclaimed joyfully which earned him an agreeing cheer from Marti and a scolding of his name from Casey. The middle school graduate frowned, not knowing why he was being reprimanded for now (he could never really know with Casey). "What?"

Dean chuckled as his focus remained on the road ahead of him. "While I applaud the enthusiasm kid, you still have a couple of years ahead of you before you could truly say that you're _free_ from school." The older man quipped before he chanced a glance in his rearview mirror to see a now sulking Edwin as the words sunk into his brain.

Edwin groaned. "Way to burst my bubble." He mumbled before he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his seat.

"Oh c'mon Ed, school can be fun. You just have to look in the right places for it." Casey cheerfully exclaimed in hopes of getting his previous enthusiasm back. She sometimes forgot that her excitement on certain subjects might not be the same as everyone else's excitement on the subject.

"Spoken like a true keener." Edwin mumbled to himself but that earned him a giggle from Marti who sat right beside him.

Hearing Marti's giggle, Casey quickly turned her suspicious look onto the boy. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Edwin protested quickly as he suppressed the urge to gulp in a nervous fashion. He didn't know how or why but Casey could scare him a lot more than Derek could at times.

Dean and Lizzie snickered from their spots in the Impala as Casey continued to stare Edwin down.

Marti looked between her brother and her oldest stepsister curiously before she decided to help her brother out (who looked like he could be sweating buckets if this charade continued on). "Casey?"

Casey's probing look instantly turned into a gentle one when she shifted to face the youngest Venturi. "Yes Marti."

"Can we know about the surprise now?" Marti asked with a beaming smile which got her a soft laugh from the youngest Winchester.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Edwin mumbled as he tried to look like he wasn't paying attention although he wasn't succeeding all too well.

Casey shifted in her seat a bit more so that she could look at the three youngsters in hopes of gauging their reactions a bit better this way. "Well since we're going out to dinner later on, I wanted to know if you guys wanted to go downtown to the festival they've set up for the week in honor of Canada Day. We can do all sorts of stuff together before any of our summer plans get in the way… plus Sam and Dean will be joining us." She finished off but it seemed like the mention of the festival lifted the youngsters' spirits a tenfold.

At first it only started as a one-day festival but over the years the festival would add another day or two to it due to all the traffic it would get on the one original day. It got so bad one year that the city just made the festival a week long as a celebration to not only the birth of their country but to celebrate the start of the summer holidays for many kids (since many summer programs wouldn't start until the following week anyways due to scheduling). Many streets would be blocked off in the downtown area as different vendors would setup while many of the larger buildings contributed to the festival in some ways. A few rides were set up, some of the typical carnival booths were present and live entertainment could always be heard wherever a person stood on the streets. For Casey and Lizzie, the festival kind of reminded them of a smaller version of the CNE festival back in Toronto.

"Will Smerek come too?" Marti asked so innocently that her big doe eyes had widened to what Casey immediately noticed as the early signs to Marti's puppy-dog look.

Casey sighed; she knew the question would come up and while she hoped (like Marti) that Derek would come, in the end she wasn't entirely sure if he would. "I'm not sure Marti but you could always ask him to come along."

Dean snickered after taking a quick look at Marti through the rearview mirror (he too had seen the makings of that puppy-dog look of hers; one that he thought rivaled his own siblings when they were her age). "If she's anything like you were at that age Case, he doesn't stand a chance at saying no." He stated with a laugh as he pulled into the McDonald/Venturi driveway.

With everyone too busy exiting the classic car, no one realized the lingering glance a certain Venturi had on the Impala's back door where three suspicious initials were carved into it.

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Derek was rummaging through the kitchen for something to eat when the front doors opened, revealing the quickened sounds of multiple footsteps entering the house.

"Alright, so put all your stuff into your room, change into something comfortable and if you need to go to the bathroom, use it now!" Casey ordered as the three kids ventured upstairs to do just that.

"You got it Casey!" Marti eagerly shouted back as she slowly made her way upstairs, not being able to keep up with her brother or stepsister. Before she could get any further, she stopped when she heard Derek's voice as he came out of the kitchen.

"What's with the noise?" Derek questioned while taking notice of the fact that Edwin and Lizzie weren't in sight. He also noticed that Casey was just closing the front door while Dean was lounging around on the couch.

Seeing that it was indeed her brother that was in the kitchen, Marti quickly climbed down the few steps she had went up moments before as she made her way to stand in front of Derek. "Are you coming to the festival with us Smerek?"

Derek's eyes widened when he noticed that Marti had started to form the puppy-dog look. "Smarti, I…"

"Please!" Marti interjected with a plea before the older Venturi could say his full rejection. She was going full out too with her pleading as she clasped her hands together and if he didn't know any better, Derek had a feeling that Marti would either tug on his shirt so much that it ripped or she'd beg on her knees until he complied. He didn't like the idea of Marti doing either option.

Derek sighed, not seeing a way he could get out of the outing without hurting Marti's feelings (which he never wanted to do). "Fine, I'll go too but only because you asked." He stressed with a small smile while ignoring the knowing looks that passed between Dean and Casey.

Marti jumped gleefully before she wrapped her arms around Derek's waist, giving him as big of a hug as her small frame could allow herself to give. "Yay! Thanks Smerek!"

Dean chuckled from his spot on the couch. "Munchkin you better get moving or you're not riding in my car." He provoked which gave him the desired effect he wanted as Marti squeaked as she immediately released her grip around her brother before she raced up the stairs.

Unfortunately that reaction caused Casey to shout out for Marti to be careful before she turned to glare at her own brother. "Nice going. Now she's going to _rush_ through everything."

Dean shrugged. "If it gets her to move faster then so be it."

Casey gasped before she quickly moved to punch Dean in the shoulder. Before they could really get into an argument, Sam ventured downstairs in time to stop his siblings from killing each other.

Derek rolled his eyes before he went back to find something to eat; he would have stayed to witness his new source of entertainment but his hunger took priority over that. Meanwhile Casey went upstairs to discreetly lock her room while making sure that the younger kids weren't causing any trouble as they got ready.

It wasn't long before everyone was ready to go. The Winchester brothers moved ahead of the group as they got to the Impala as Casey and the kids slowly trailed behind them, leaving Derek to lock up.

Before any of the kids headed towards the backdoor of Dean's car (they all seemed to have preferred the classic car over the _family_ stinker), Casey stopped them with a firm look on her face. "Alright, now you three better be on your best behavior and whatever you do, _do __not_ do any damage to Dean's car. He will complain about it so much that you'll _want_ me to lecture you about how to improve your school performances." She warned as best as she could while emphasizing just how serious she was on the statement.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Dean protested with a huff from his car window; he was already inside the Impala with the engine running. He could speed out of the driveway if he really wanted to.

Sam rolled his eyes before he motioned for the kids to get inside the car before he took his own advice.

Casey (on the other hand) smirked at her brother as her hands landed on her hips. "Do you know the location?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just hit the road." Dean grumbled before he started to roll up his window, immediately blocking out Casey's laugh as she made her way towards Derek who was impatiently waiting for her in the Prince.

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The drive was unusually quiet for the graduates as the only sounds heard were of the Prince's engine and of the radio that was stuck on a station that they both had agreed on long ago.

While Casey was fine with listening to the radio for the whole drive, she was starting to feel uncomfortable when every so often she would feel Derek's probing eyes on her. Usually this wouldn't bother the hunter but when it was accompanied with the silence, then that was a cue for her to worry.

After letting it go on for ten minutes, Casey let loose a dramatic sigh. "Are you going to keep looking at me like that for the whole drive or are you actually going to tell me what's bugging you?" The hunter questioned as she continued to look out her window.

Derek cleared his throat as he focused more on the road ahead of them. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about."

Casey rolled her eyes before she turned to face her companion. "Really Derek. And here I thought you were _Lord of the Lies_."

Derek's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I am."

"Well I didn't buy that lie for a second." She easily teased, knowing that he didn't like having his skills being doubted.

Derek rolled his eyes for her attitude before he sighed out of defeat (he didn't need to hear that attitude of hers for the rest of the drive). "Fine, I just don't know how to ask."

Casey resisted the urge to smile out of victory as she schooled her features to act as if this was a normal occurrence for them. "Well…just blurt out whatever is on your mind. It's not like you needed a filter with me before."

Derek smirked. "Well that's true."

"Then just ask."

Derek exhaled deeply as his focus still remained on the road. "Okay, first off, why are we going to this festival thing? Sam didn't say much about it."

"To spend time with our younger siblings…you know, family bonding without the parents." Casey answered without hesitation; she figured that he'd ask her at some point, she just couldn't believe that he had trouble asking her _that_. It was a little disappointing.

Derek rolled his eyes. "No I get that but _we_ aren't siblings Casey."

It was Casey's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm well aware of that Derek but when have we ever hung out with our younger siblings _without_ us fighting?" She questioned but when she got no response, she took that as her cue to continue. "I thought it was the least we could do before we head off to college or whatever. I mean it's either you hang out with the three of them or I hang out with the three of them…it's never all five of us together. So I figured before summer really started and everyone was too busy with their own plans that we could at least do this. I mean…we have been getting along since we graduated and I figured…why not take advantage of it." The hunter rambled on, in hopes of not coming off as being a hopeless believer.

He wanted to rip her idea apart, he really did, but then there was this small part inside of him that had to agree with her logic. He's always had some excuse to get out of family bonding ever since the merger of their two families. There was that failed weekend when the five kids made a pact to forget about it afterwards but could that count as them hanging out? Now the only time all seven of them truly hung out together (that didn't include their home) was during that one road trip to Niagara Falls after that failed Montreal road trip they had. Even before then, any hockey tournament or dance competition usually had the whole family attending…except for the respective teenager that wasn't involved in those events.

Derek groaned once he realized that it had been a _long_ time since the siblings just hung out together. "Alright, I guess I see where you're getting at."

Casey nodded her head in triumph. "Exactly, I mean how often are you going to hang out with them once you start at Queens Derek? I mean, most of your summer is probably going to be about hanging out with your friends that aren't going to be at Queens or who you're not going to see for a couple of months. When are you going to have time for Edwin or Lizzie or Marti…to just really hang out with them?" The hunter trailed off from her reasons when she heard a groan from Derek.

"Okay, you don't have to lay the guilt trip on me." He whined but when she turned to look at him, she could see the slightest glint of amusement in his eyes.

"I am not…I'm just pointing out the obvious." Casey quipped as she tried to hide her smile from Derek.

Derek shook his head as he tried to gain control once again. "Alright then why are Sam and Dean coming? The five of us could have fit in my car alone."

Casey inhaled deeply before she released a sigh. "They are here visiting Derek. I'm not going to have them waiting in a motel room because I'm bonding with you guys. And technically they are my family so they count too."

"They are just substitute parents then." He argued while keeping his distance from the Impala that he was following (he didn't know how he ended up following Dean instead of it being the other way around).

Casey laughed; the thought of her brothers being anything like Nora or George was too amusing for the hunter (even if Dean raised her on some level). "No they aren't. Sam and Dean are far from being parents. And I miss them okay. I haven't seen them in a very long time and I'd really like it if I can hang out with everybody."

Derek took a quick glance and when he saw that Casey wasn't budging on the subject, he groaned out of defeat once again. "I don't know why I'm agreeing to this."

Casey smiled. "Because deep down you want it too." He mumbled how uncool this arrangement was for him which only caused the hunter to release a light laugh. "Derek c'mon, you don't always have to have this cool-guy reputation okay? I get the whole being-reputable thing but it's not necessary when among family."

"I thought we established that _we're_ not family." Derek immediately pointed out once again; as if he wanted that agreement they had in the kitchen to not be forgotten. He wouldn't admit this to anymore but ever since they agreed to their lack of familial titles towards one another, he's felt more at ease with her presence (yet more tense on another level). Either way, he was glad that they were on the same page about not having any obligations towards one another anymore.

Casey waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "We did but it's easier just to group me in there when I'm talking about us as a collective."

With his eyes more focused on the road than her, the hunter didn't see her fellow graduate roll his eyes at her words before he spoke. "Fine but I'm still not use to this side of you."

"It's not much different from the other sides of me." She easily quipped.

Derek scoffed. "Nope, I'm going to argue with you on that part."

"Why?" She asked with a quizzical look directed at him.

At first, he mulled the words through his head as he tried to figure out how to say them. "You're more tolerable…this side of you."

"Well gee, thanks." She replied with obvious sarcasm lacing through her response.

Derek snickered while shaking his head out of amusement. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah I guess I do." Casey responded with a smirk just as Derek was pulling up to the spot beside the Impala.

A few secret glances were cast between many of the people in the group before any of them really moved towards the direction of the festivities.

The Winchester brothers mainly stayed in the background as they let the five _siblings_ have their bonding time but whenever they were invited to join in, they did so without hesitation (at first there was some but after a while, they realized it was just a hassle to continue the disagreeing charade). If it wasn't Casey that was urging her brothers to join in on an event then Marti and Lizzie would take her place in that department. When it came to events that Sam and Dean weren't too keen on participating in then Marti was usually sent in to convince them since no one has truly said no to her adorable puppy-dog expression. This tactic alone is what allowed Marti to walk away with three stuffed animals that both the brothers and Derek had won for her at the different carnival booths.

While Marti was busy collecting some more stuffed animals, Edwin and Lizzie were usually caught up in their own competitions or they were observing those around them; mainly Derek and Casey. During their drive up to the festival, the middle school graduates were surprisingly pulled into a conversation with the Winchester brothers about Derek and Casey. It wasn't extreme or anything but the simple questions that seemed so telling for the Winchesters had caused Edwin and Lizzie to seek further meaning behind a mystery they already thought they had figured out. It turned out that their mystery was only half solved when they saw that not only were Derek and Casey _not_ arguing with one another, they were actually having fun _with_ each other. Due to the group's numbers, Derek and Casey had automatically been paired with one another without complaint and while Sam and Dean have witnessed the graduates like this to some degree due to the events of the past weekend, Edwin and Lizzie were still shocked to see it happening before their eyes and in public, no less.

To everyone, it was a surprise (on some level) how the day was going for everyone since they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Marti was thrilled to be spending time with her older siblings as well as having two adults spoiling her to her little heart's content (she has missed the feeling); Sam and Dean were enjoying the fact that for once they could just sit back, relax and enjoy such a mundane activity like normal guys with their relatives would do instead of being out in the field and solving a murder case; Edwin and Lizzie were just psyched at the idea of hanging with everyone without being the 'middle men' when it came to resolving an issue between the conflicted parties (aka Derek and Casey). Surprisingly enough, Casey and Derek had easily found themselves enjoying the simple day not only with their siblings but with each other as well; it seemed like the disappearance of all forced titles between them eased the public dynamic between them (since a majority of their _moments_ have just been seen by the two of them). Sure they teased and bantered with one another throughout the day but it wasn't so extreme that it would cause an uncomfortable scene for them or for their family members (like they usually would).

All in all, it turned out to be a successful outing.

Before anyone truly knew it, it was time for them all to head back home so that they would be able to meet up with George and Nora. Much to the younger kids' protest, they rode back in the Prince with Derek and Casey while the Winchester brothers went their own way with the Impala since they weren't joining them for dinner with George and Nora. The Prince was filled with enthusiastic recollections of the day's events while the Impala was filled with observational debriefings of a certain duo.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Dinner was enjoyable for the family of seven with very minimal fights between the eldest teenagers. Discussions revolved around the day's events with a majority of them being based around an event that had happened during the festival. When they got home, the younger kids were so tired that they ended up calling it a night, barely making it to their beds after they finished their nightly routines.

It was only after they were asleep in their beds did Derek and Casey allow themselves to get ready for the night. It will always remain a mystery as to why those two always aimed for the bathroom at the _same_ time; usually they would argue over who was there first but as Derek entered the occupied bathroom, all Casey did was pause her brushing movements, spit and rinse out the toothpaste before she turned to Derek.

"Is it safe to assume that you had fun today?" She asked as she watched him grab his toothbrush from its spot. She focused her attention solely on the toothbrush in her hands as she tried to avoid ogling at him; he may only be wearing his typical sweatpants and undershirt but the shirt alone clung to his body in a way that would showcase all the muscles he had beneath the surface of his skin.

Derek shrugged as he tried to ignore the lack of pajamas that Casey was wearing (short shorts and a tank top; just like his dream). "It was alright." He stated nonchalantly before he started to brush. After a few rounds in his mouth, Derek spat and rinsed before he added on to his statement; "Although I will admit that it was fun seeing Marti's face light up like it did."

"I agree." Casey stated with a nod as she washed her toothbrush. "Anyways, I was wondering if I could borrow the Prince tomorrow."

Derek's eyes narrowed; his toothbrush now sticking out of his mouth. "Why?" He asked before he continued brushing once again.

"Tomorrow Mom needs one of us to drop the kids off to their respective friends' places right before lunch and I figured that you'd still be asleep when the time came." The hunter explained as she moved to grab the dental floss. Nora had asked Casey the favor just before the hunter had gone upstairs for the night.

Derek was about to answer with a mouth full of toothpaste but with one disgusted look from a flossing Casey, he rolled his eyes and emptied his mouth before he spoke. "Will I get the car right back?"

Casey huffed as she discarded her dental floss before she placed a hand on her hip. "I'm not going on a surprise shopping trip if that's what you're implying. I'll probably just drive them there, grab some food and then drive back home. You can have the Prince after that."

He mulled over her words in his head as he ignored her newest stance since dwelling on that image would cause _other_ images to resurface in his mind that he didn't need. "Fine by me. I'll just leave the keys by my dresser." He dismissively stated before he turned back to finish up his brushing.

"Great! Night Der!" Casey said with a smile before she headed off to her room, making sure to close and lock her door behind her (she didn't want anyone to see her packed up room before they had to).

"Yeah whatever Space Case." Derek mumbled to himself as he finished off his own nightly routine.

Neither graduate cared to analyze just how _normal_ that encounter seemed to be for _them_.

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It was a little after midnight when an annoying ring was heard throughout the pitch-black motel room.

The sound of a creaking bed was heard next before a groan could easily be heard. "Sam?" Dean called out groggily while he was still half buried under his sheets. Their time at the festival and their hustling at the bar outside of town afterwards had the brothers calling it an early night (they also suspected that Casey would be calling them early in the morning so they figured it would be best to turn in early).

"What?" Sam protested in a grumpy manner as he tried to drown out the ringing sound.

"If that's Casey, she's seriously going to get it in the morning." Dean mumbled loud enough for his brother to hear; the irritation was clear in the older hunter's voice. It was also clear that neither brother was going to make a move for the phone.

Sam shifted around in his bed so that his head was turned to his brother; his eyes still closed. "It wouldn't be her." He said as he remembered the goodnight text that she had sent him an hour ago.

"Then who'd…shit!" Dean's eyes snapped open once the realization hit him before he sprinted to where his ringing phone was placed. "Hello?" He answered a little out of breath but he could see Sam immediately sitting up in his bed as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"_You need to get to Waterloo now!_"

Dean's eyes widened not just because of the order he was just given but because of the fact that it was their father that was ordering them to Waterloo.

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**A/N #4: **The London festival is of my own creation so I don't know if there is such a thing but I know the CNE in Toronto is real.

**A/N #5:** And there you have it! I really hope it was worth the wait and I do apologize if its a bit 'fast-paced' than all the others but I'm getting to the part that I really want to write so bare with me please! :D Anyways, what did you guys think? How is John's call going to affect the story? How's the dynamic change doing for Dasey (I do have plans for them in the following 'day')? What do you think is going to happen next? **Please let me know in a review** because those words are truly inspiring and uplifting for me :D

**A/N #6:** This A/N is in regards to my _LiveJournal_ account; since this site allowed for book covers to go with the stories, I have created one for all my stories which can also been seen on my master list. I have also recently created a FFN Master List for a friend of mine (**emeraldphoenix23**) that includes links for her stories, book covers and outside links of any kinds (whether it be for pictures or for video links). I do hope you check both master lists out!

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**Originally Published: **September 4, 2012


	23. Ch 22: Things Change

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 22: Things Change**

**A/N #1: **HEY EVERYONE! Now there is a reason why I'm posting today (three actually). The first two reasons are because of **two birthdays** so this chapter is in honor of** Ashley Leggat's birthday** (the lovely actress who plays Casey) and someone who has become a dear friend to me and it's all because of this story; fellow FFN writer **Enx2103 **(aka Jen). **Happy birthday to them both!** Now the last reason to celebrate today with a chapter is because in exactly one week today (on Oct. 3), we'll be welcoming the return of _Supernatural_ with the season 8 premiere! Let me just say, that based off the promos…Dean has got to be the _only_ _human_ _character_ that has been to Heaven, Hell and now Purgatory while still returning to Earth as a human!

**A/N #2:** I just want to say that I truly appreciate and I'm very thankful to all the reviewers, readers and overall supporters of this story. It truly means the world to me! I apologize in advance if I missed any grammatical errors; I tried to get them all. Now I'll just shut up now and I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **315****th**** Reviewer **goes to **Leaf26**.

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Room", "Misadventures in Babysitting", "March Break", "Vacation with Derek" (bikini) and "Driving Lessons".

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Asylum/Scarecrow" (similar setup)

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **N/A

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**LAST TIME:**

He mulled over her words in his head as he ignored her newest stance since dwelling on that image would cause _other_ images to resurface in his mind that he didn't need. "Fine by me. I'll just leave the keys by my dresser." He dismissively stated before he turned back to finish up his brushing.

"Great! Night Der!" Casey said with a smile before she headed off to her room, making sure to close and lock her door behind her (she didn't want anyone to see her packed up room before they had to).

"Yeah whatever Space Case." Derek mumbled to himself as he finished off his own nightly routine.

Neither graduate cared to analyze just how _normal_ that encounter seemed to be for _them_.

***SC***

"If that's Casey, she's seriously going to get it in the morning." Dean mumbled loud enough for his brother to hear; the irritation was clear in the older hunter's voice. It was also clear that neither brother was going to make a move for the phone.

Sam shifted around in his bed so that his head was turned to his brother; his eyes still closed. "It wouldn't be her." He said as he remembered the goodnight text that she had sent him an hour ago.

"Then who'd…shit!" Dean's eyes snapped open once the realization hit him before he sprinted to where his ringing phone was placed. "Hello?" He answered a little out of breath but he could see Sam immediately sitting up in his bed as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"_You need to get to Waterloo now!_"

Dean's eyes widened not just because of the order he was just given but because of the fact that it was their father that was ordering them to Waterloo.

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_[Mon. June 28, 2004 / Tues. June 29, 2004]_

"Dad?" Dean questioned; his voice more alert now than it was moments ago.

Sam's eyes immediately widened when he heard Dean's surprised tone which was followed by the wide-eyed stare that was aimed at him.

John Winchester cleared his throat while taking instant note that Dean was more focused now. "_Yes Dean, now you need to listen to me. You and your brother need to get to Waterloo immediately._"

"But why? I thought we had a week or two before we had to deal with that case." Dean managed to sputter out as he tried to wrap his head around his dad's latest order.

John resisted the solider side of him that wanted to yell at his son for asking too many questions while the father side of him had to remind himself that Dean was still trying to wake himself up as best as he could. "_I thought so too but my contact in Waterloo just called me. They found a body tonight that matches the M.O. No one even realized that they were missing until the body was found._"

"Damn it." Dean cursed as he ran his free hand through his bed hair, messing it up even more. He also ignored Sam's attempts to grab the phone from him.

"_I know this cuts your time with Casey short but I need for you and your brother to finish this before anyone else gets hurt._" John firmly stated, knowing that if either of his sons was to follow an order that it would be Dean that would ask little to no questions about it. Dean always knew when the appropriate time was to ask questions.

Out of reflex, Dean shook his head in understanding. "No worries sir, we'll deal with it."

"_See that you do._" John stated before quick goodbyes were exchanged between the two prior to the call getting disconnected.

"What are we going to do?" Sam immediately asked as Dean was tapping his fingers against his phone.

"We need to pack." Dean declared before he grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Sam quickly followed behind Dean until only the bathroom door was between them. "Now? No motel is going to be open by the time we get there Dean."

"We don't have a choice. There is already a body on a slab thanks to our delay." Dean shouted through the door as he got changed.

Sam sighed as the repercussions of their delay settled into his mind. "What about Casey?"

Dean opened the bathroom door (now completely changed) before he headed for his phone and duffel bag. "We'll deal with that once the sun comes up. Now start packing, I'm going to give Nora a heads up." He explained as he threw Sam his clothes, dismissing him to do his task while Dean dealt with Nora.

It didn't take long for Dean to leave a message on Nora's cellphone or for Sam to change and pack up their room. The brothers found themselves checked out of the motel and on the road to Waterloo forty minutes after they ended the call with their father.

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_[Tues. June 29, 2004]_

Like every other day in her life, Casey managed to find herself getting up just before the crack of dawn. She found herself doing a few of her morning warm-up routines (some basic stretches for the time being) before she truly started her day. She planned on organizing her packed room in a way so that when the time came for her to leave then everything would be cleaned up enough for an easy relocation task. She was hoping to get a majority of this done before anyone was truly awake since she also planned to make breakfast once again; she didn't think she'd ever get tired of the task.

Therefore the moment her morning stretches were complete, Casey put her keener-skills to good use as she started rearranging and reorganizing her room. She moved the previously packed boxes out of the way while getting a few smaller ones out to pack the stuff that was left over. During this round of cleaning, she had decided that some laundry was in order before she truly packed away her items for the road. While staying on task, she kept the moving process in mind as she hoped to make things simpler for George and Nora when they reclaimed their bedroom; she still couldn't believe that they had given the room to her when she first arrived.

Before Casey even realized it, her alarm went off, signaling to her that it was time to head downstairs and make some breakfast. Like the previous morning, the majority of the family joined the hunter just as she was putting everything on the table for them. Many of the day's plans were brought up once again over breakfast before the parents found themselves being rushed to work. Edwin and Marti ended up moving themselves to the living room to watch cartoons while Lizzie stayed behind to help her cousin cleanup. Idle chitchat was exchanged between them and before the cousins knew it, the kitchen was spotless.

With everything seeming to be in order, Casey gave her last reminders to the occupied trio (Lizzie had join her stepsiblings for some cartoons) about when they had to be ready to leave before the hunter ended up heading back to her room. Instead of finding the dismissal as being odd, the youngsters sighed at the prospect of not having to endure one of Casey's _educationally-entertaining _ideas like they had done in the past (the chore wheel being a prime example)_. _

For the remainder of the morning, Casey was left to her devices with her headphones in place and her Ipod at an acceptable volume; she was in the cleaning groove. There was a time or two when she took a break to check her phone from any texts from her brothers but like before; there was nothing. She wasn't worried though since it was still pretty early for them; hell Dean and Derek could rival each other when it came to sleeping in (then again, Dean could get up at a moment's notice if he truly had to) yet she was not worried.

By the time the hunter had everything labeled and placed in their new locations, there was a knock on her door followed by Lizzie calling out to the graduate that it was about time that they leave. With that being said, Casey called out that she would be out in a minute as she rushed to put her yoga pants on and a suitable t-shirt before she dashed out her room (locking the door once again). She made a quick detour to Derek's room to grab his keys, which were where he said they'd be the previous night, before she rushed downstairs.

After five minutes, the quartet was buckled into the Prince as Casey sped out of the driveway to her first drop-off. One by one the youngsters were dropped off at their respective friend's house with a quick goodbye and a small reminder that either Nora or George would be picking them up after work.

As the final drop-off was complete, the hunter couldn't help but let loose a sigh of relief before she pulled back onto the road as she headed towards Smelly Nellie's for some takeout. She was in and out with her lunch order (as well as Derek's) before she thought of the idea to drive by the motel to see if her brothers were up. She couldn't help but feel disappointed when she drove by and saw no sign of the Impala. She didn't think much of it (assuming that they were out to some bar hustling some more bikers for cash or something along those lines) as she drove herself back home.

With her to-go bag in hand, Casey went straight for the kitchen once she arrived at home. She immediately rolled her eyes after she took in the silence; a sign to her that Derek was still off in dreamland. Not knowing how to proceed at first (eat her lunch first then wake Derek up or vice versa) she decided to go with the latter after much internal deliberation. She sighed as she got up and left the safety of the kitchen as she ventured her way up to her pseudo-stepbrother's bedroom.

It was never an easy task to wake Derek up. In hind sight, she probably should of brought his lunch up so that the smell alone could wake him up but she just had this tempting idea that she couldn't shake away so she figured, why not have some fun with it?

With a smirk now plastered on her face, Casey slowly crept into Derek's bedroom, dropping his keys back where she had originally found them before she quickly walked towards his bed. He was sprawled out onto his bed with his stomach firmly pressed into the mattress, his head was buried in his pillow as the rest of him was tangled in his sheets; it didn't matter what time of year it was, Derek always managed to keep his room very cool when it came to the temperature. Just the sight of him like that had the hunter wishing she could just straddle his waist, lean forward with her front pressed against his back and just whisper to him to get up and have his way with her. Unfortunately she couldn't do such a thing which halted the mini fantasy before it could get really interesting for her.

Before she could even form an alternative wake-up plan, she heard a slight moan coming from Derek just as his arms moved to squeeze the pillow his head was lying on. The devilish smirk formed on the hunter's face before she moved to his side. She crouched down so that her mouth was just hovering over Derek's exposed ear. She blew into it gently (reveling in the fact that his body shivered shortly afterwards) before she whispered his name. She couldn't cover up her surprise when he responded with a moan of her name; either his subconscious knew that it was her that was messing with him or he was _dreaming_ of her at that moment.

Before she could let the hope inside her increase at the mere idea that Derek might be dreaming about her as something more, she whispered into his ear once again. "Derek…it's time to wake up."

"Five more minutes." Derek grumbled out but Casey could tell that he was still immersed into his dream.

"Der…it's time to get up." She whispered once again; her cool breath fanned over his ear once again, causing him to shiver.

Derek groaned. "I'm already up." He mumbled once again which caused Casey's eyes to widen at the implication he had unknowingly made.

Deciding to mess with him some more, Casey picked her next words very carefully. "Oh honey, if you were already _up_, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She whispered with a more seductive tone as she let her double meanings sink into her target's sleepy mind. She then made the move of kissing him just below the ear prior to pulling herself back and just in time too as Derek was startled awake by the brief contact.

Derek's shifted his gaze around the room as if his body was searching for the cause of the brief sensation from moments ago before his eyes settled on a smiling Casey as she remained crouched down to his eye level yet she was far enough away that she could easily stand without bumping into him.

"Case? What…?" He sputtered out as he tried to focus his mind onto reality instead of the intense dream he was just having…with Casey making a guest appearance once again.

The hunter kept her smile as innocent as possible in hopes that he would not recognize the devilish glint that remained in her hazel-green eyes (she had forgone the contacts yet again). "It's time for lunch. I'd thought you'd rather have it hot." She innocently stated as she subtly eyed his arms since his muscles were flexing even more than normal due to his current stance of keeping himself from flopping back into his pillow.

Derek grumbled to himself a bit as he shifted his hands; flipping over so that his ass was on the mattress was _not_ an option for him while _she_ was in the room. "Oh…I'll be down in a moment." He stated dismissively without looking at her and he was grateful when she didn't push him to get out of bed at that moment.

Casey had an inkling of why Derek wasn't budging so she left his room (while holding back her snickers) before she headed to hers while she shouted out to him that his lunch was from Smelly Nellie's. The hunter went to change her clothes before she tossed and grabbed her laundry from her room. She then relocked it and headed back downstairs; she figured that she'd start it up before she dived into her meal.

Derek ended on shuffling down the stairs just as Casey was unloading their lunch from its to-go bag. He slumped into his seat at the kitchen island as he watched Casey move around the kitchen as she gathered anything else they might need for their lunch which ended up only being their drinks and a few condiments. He gave her a quizzical look as she gathered everything _he_ needed without question which was odd since Casey has never gotten anything for Derek when he was fully capable of getting it for himself.

He was too stunned to eat when he'd normally would have gloated or boasted about the fact that she loved serving him in some way; unfortunately for him, Casey took note of his surprise.

"What?" She questioned just before she took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Since when do you get anything for _me_ of all people?" He asked even though he really shouldn't kick a gift in the horse's mouth or whatever the saying is.

"Well don't get use to it." She retorted after swallowing yet before she grabbed her drink.

Derek narrowed his eyes at her, his sandwich still left untouched. "You want something…that's got to be it."

Casey shook her head as she put her glass down and grabbed her sandwich once again. "Nope but if you want to put a label on it, think of it as a thank you for yesterday." She suggested before she took another bite in hopes that it would end their conversation; she didn't want him to think too much on her actions towards him. She figured with her departure date slowly approaching that she might get away with a few actions as being along the lines of sentimentality than anything else.

Derek rolled his eyes as he moved to grab his sandwich. "Whatever, it's too early to be thinking like that." He stated before he took his first bite of his sandwich, noticing only then that Casey had managed to grab his favorite sandwich combo.

The duo ate in silence while avoiding each other's stares yet they watched one another from time to time. Casey ended up finishing her sandwich first so with her meal gone and her cup as empty as before, the hunter moved to clean up her mess. "I don't know what you have planned for today but I left your keys where I found them.**" **She started to say as she moved to throw her garbage away.

Derek nodded as he too started to get up and put his trash away. He didn't know what compelled him to do it since it would have been easy to leave it for her to clean up but something inside him told him to stay for just a little longer; he blamed the thought process on the fact that it was still _early_ for him.

"Thanks." He said (in reference to the keys) as he moved around the kitchen island, landing himself in a spot just beside her. "What are you going to do without my car?" He found himself asking as he tossed his trash into the bin.

Casey shrugged as she moved to wash her hands. "I just plan on chilling by the pool or doing some laps."

"That's it?" Derek questioned as he leaned against the counter by the sink with his arms now crossed over his chest. He tried to position himself so that he couldn't look directly at her, especially after realizing that her current outfit did give off the impression that she was aiming for a swim (short shorts and a tank top with her bathing suit peeking through). "What about Sam and Dean?" He asked after getting his mind back on track; he didn't like how easily his thoughts would stray to Casey nowadays. He would blame the stupid yet enticing dreams for now.

She turned the water off before she grabbed the nearest dish towel. "They had errands to run or something; their phones are off."

Derek smirked as he looked down at Casey while her focus was on her hands. "So you're stranded here…basically." He teased; he oddly found delight in the whole situation.

Casey rolled her eyes before she turned to look up at Derek; if it weren't for their height difference she wouldn't have been in such a power-position with him (one looking down on the other). "I wouldn't be if I had the keys." She quipped with a raised eyebrow as if she were asking through her eyes for him to give them to her.

He released a deep-throated laugh that resonated throughout his whole body. "Not going to happen."

She gave a nonchalant shrug as she let him have his fun for denying her for a moment before she continued on, "That's fine with me then if you end up using the car then that means that I get the house to myself for the day." She mischievously added before she pushed off the counter and headed towards the back door, grabbing a towel as she passed the mud-room; she had privately asked her aunt if she could commandeer the pool that afternoon.

He scoffed as he watched her retreating form before he quickly followed after her, making a stop at the threshold as he watched her place her towel on a lawn chair. "You're delusional if you think I'm going to let you stay home alone. I didn't let it happen during March break, I'm certainly not going to do it now." He called back before he made his way back inside to change into his swim trunks, immediately missing the smirk that graced her lips.

Little did he know that getting him to join her was the hunter's objective all along.

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If anyone where to walk into the McDonald/Venturi backyard, they would be stunned to see that instead of irritating fights taking place between the yard's occupants, they would find a set of relaxing graduates that were just lounging by the pool while they talked every now and then.

It wasn't until sometime later did Casey head back into the house to put her laundry into the dryer before she returned while making the move of removing her tank top, followed by taking a seat back on her lawn chair so that she could remove her shorts. She felt it was time for a swim (she still believed in the old notion about waiting an hour after eating before swimming). Normally she would have either swam with a t-shirt on if someone was watching her or she'd swim in private but since her tattoo's reveal, she felt no need to hide that particular part of her body anymore.

"Got any more that I'm unaware of?" A shirtless Derek asked as he openly ogled Casey's backside from behind his sunglasses as her orange bikini was fully revealed before his eyes. The current sight of Casey was still an odd one to him (ye the secretly enjoyed it).

Casey turned her head and quirked her eyebrow at Derek as she redid her hair up into a bun.

Taking the eye gesture as a 'go on' motion, he gestured his hand towards her back to where her flaming pentagram tattoo was located. "I was talking about your tattoo."

"I kind of figured that and the answer is…you'll never know." She declared with a wink before she got up from her lawn chair and headed for the deep end of the pool.

Derek immediately sat up in his lawn chair as his eyes tracked her movements. "Really? And why's that?" He quipped right back; ignoring the fact that to an outsider, his response may come off as a flirty comeback of some sort.

"I'd have to be _naked_ for you to see it." She stated with a flirty smirk before she dived right into the deep end, preventing Derek from giving an immediate comeback (which wouldn't have been possible as her declaration took a few moments for him to register in his brain).

By the time Casey had resurfaced from her dive, Derek was now seated at the edge of the pool with his feet dangling over the edge. "Again, who are you and what have you done with my stepsister?"

Casey laughed as she treaded water. "I'm still the same girl you met three years ago Der."

Derek gave Casey an incredulous look. "Yet I'm only now discovering a few _major_ things about you over the last three days alone Case." He still couldn't believe how much she has shocked him over the past few days. He'd thought he knew everything about her after living right next to her for the past three years.

Casey smirked as she swam towards Derek until her hands had a firm grip on the ladder beside him. "Well a girl is entitled to keeping some secrets to herself." She softly said while looking up at him through her lashes.

Derek scoffed before he made the briefest of eye contact with Casey. "You were never able to keep a secret to save your life."

"I think these past three days have proved otherwise." Casey said before she climbed up the ladder and out of the pool.

Derek gulped as his eyes became transfixed on her glistening body as many water droplets cascaded down her soft skin. When his thoughts got to wondering how soft her skin would feel under his touch, he quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat before he continued the conversation. "See that's the thing I don't get though; why now? After all this time, why reveal certain aspects of you now?" He stated coolly while he was internally relieved that his voice hadn't betrayed him in any way and it was a good thing too because her back was to him during his whole hypnotic moment.

Casey stopped in her steps before she continued back to where she jumped into the pool earlier. "Would you believe me when I say that I'm tired?" She asked without even looking at him. No matter the distance between them, she didn't want to risk him seeing just how tired she was through her eyes. He might not understand but living a life full of lies takes a toll on a person's mind.

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Why would you be tired? They are just secrets."

_If only they were; _she thought to herself before she turned to face him. She decided in that moment to just tell him like it is. "Many of the secrets I have somehow change people's perspective on certain aspects of me or of their own lives." She stated sadly before she dived right back into the pool, only splashing Derek just a little bit due to his position.

He waited for her to resurface while he mulled over her words which only peaked his interest even further. _What secrets could she possibly have that are supposedly life-altering to know? _He couldn't help but wondering since his version of life-altering could be different from hers or perhaps Marti's when it comes down to it.

He was too self-absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realize that Casey had resurfaced until she splashed him to get his attention. Derek immediately glared at Casey once he wiped the water droplets off his sunglasses before tossing them to his lawn chair. "Was that really necessary?"

Casey smirked as she continued to tread water. "Well that depends, are you going to join me or what?"

Derek returned her smirk after letting loose a deep-throated chuckle. "You're not changing the subject that easily Casey."

The hunter sighed as she cast her gaze downward. "I never should have brought it up in the first place."

"Well too bad. I'll only let it slide if you tell me one." Derek proposed as he got up and headed towards the spot that Casey had dived off from.

Casey raised an eyebrow at her pseudo-stepbrother as she treaded towards the pool's edge, not wanting to be in his way when he decided to dive in. "Why should I?"

"Humor me and besides, you know how persistent I can be when it comes to something I want."He reminded her before he dived right in, resulting in a huge splash of water.

The hunter couldn't help but giggle and she was lucky that Derek wasn't able to see her react in such a way.

Derek reemerged later with a huge grin on his face before he swam the distance between him and Casey with a look on his face that screamed 'your turn'.

Casey sighed as she kept the close proximity between them out of her mind before she lost her nerve and blurted the wrong thing out. "Fine…I guess this secret will solve one of your questions for me."

Derek's smirk grew at the very idea of learning something new about her. Before he wouldn't care but after this past weekend, he found himself _wanting_ to know absolutely everything about the brunette. "Now which one would that be? I have thought of _so __many_ since your friends arrived." He quipped before he made the little jibe at the Winchesters, distracting her long enough so that she didn't realize that he was boxing her in.

"My ID at the bar." She offered up while keeping tabs on his approaching form.

Derek nodded in agreement; that one definitely had him stumped. "Now that would be an excellent start. I still can't believe that _you_ were served alcohol while I wasn't able to get any."

"Well my ID wasn't exactly fake…"

"Which makes no sense since we both aren't legally allowed to drink yet so real ID wouldn't have worked…" Derek interjected immediately.

Casey huffed; she hated being cut off in mid-thought. "I wasn't done talking." The irritation was clear in her voice and she would have smacked him in the shoulder if they were both on solid ground.

Derek chuckled. "What else is there to say? That answer just caused more questions to run through my head than it was supposed to." He voiced as he moved to the spot beside her so that he too could rest against the pool's edge; he didn't like treading water for too long.

"That one _incomplete_ statement Derek. If you'd let me finish, you'd have your answer." She reminded him as a small smirk was slowly forming on her lips.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Fine…go on."

The hunter inhaled deeply as the right words started to form in her mind. "Maybe it would be easier if I just said it like this…I'm _nineteen_ Derek. My real ID worked since I'm already of age." She confessed without looking at him but when she didn't get a response from him, she turned only to come across a deer-in-headlights look on Derek's face.

Derek had a few false starts before he finally managed to sputter out a few words. "That's not possible…since when?" He asked the first thing that popped into his head while looking straight ahead as he tried to wrap his head around her words. He had seen her ID on a numerous of occasions and it never indicated that she was a year older than him, if anything the license has it printed that she was six weeks _younger_ than him.

"Since I was born." Casey quipped back even though she knew why he was extremely confused. He had seen her ID that stated she was younger than him but what Derek didn't know was that her McDonald ID was something she _created_ thanks to the forgery skills she had developed with Dean. The hunter had gotten her real ID with Nora in Toronto but when it came time for her McDonald persona to get her license, Casey had just recreated the same card while making the little adjustments where necessary.

Derek groaned as he turned to see the smirk on Casey's face. "Not what I meant."

"I know. I just wanted to mess with you." The hunter said with a mischievous smile which got Derek to snap out of his mini speechless stupor.

"But why lie and say that you're six weeks younger than me when you're not?" Derek asked even though saying it out loud still didn't have the fact settle into his mind any easier. One moment he had two younger stepsisters and the next, he learned that he really has one older stepsister and one younger stepsister. It shouldn't matter, he _knew_ that, but the idea still boggled him. It wasn't something you'd expect to encounter.

Casey sighed as she turned to look ahead of her instead of at him even though she could feel his eyes on her. "I got enrolled into high school a year later than I was supposed to due to some family…issues. Anyways, instead of people creating rumors about why I was older than my classmates, I just downgraded my age for a year and I've stuck with it."

Derek's brow furrowed out of confusion. "For only high school?"

"I've only been to high school." She commented without hesitation but when she didn't get a response, she turned to see a quizzical look staring back at her. She took this expression as a sign to go on. "Another one of my secrets; I was home-schooled until I was fifteen and then I got enrolled into Fletcher's Academy."

"The all-girls school." He thought aloud, as if saying it would make it clearer in his mind.

"Right." Casey confirmed with a nod while hiding the giddy feeling she suddenly felt at the mere thought that he remembered something so trivial from her past.

"Well that explains your lack of social skills when you came here." Derek teased even though he was still mentally processing her second secret.

Casey gasped before she bumped shoulders with him. "Hey! I resent that! I was actually popular when I got there."

Derek let loose a deep-throated chuckle; a sound that warmed Casey's heart immensely. "You know if you told me that _before_ our graduation I would have died from laughter."

"And now?"

Derek shrugged. "I would believe it if you acted like you did at the party all the time." He stated with ease while he was imagining what the past three years would have been like if he lived with that version of Casey. Let's just say, that he didn't get far in that line of thinking; he halted those thoughts before they truly got him into trouble.

Casey smirked. "I guess we'll never know." She stated before she moved away from him and headed towards the shallow end of the pool. She wanted to actually feel the bottom of the pool while still keeping her head above the surface.

"I guess." Derek mumbled, instantly missing the slight heat he felt with Casey beside him, before his head snapped up to watch her retreating form as a thought came to the forefront of his mind. "Wait a minute…so you were sixteen at the wedding?"

"Bingo." She shouted back; she really wanted to use another board game as her response but Dean had always called dibs on it when they were younger.

"So that means…" He trailed off as he slowly swam behind Casey. It wasn't until he truly connected the dots between his theory and her confession, did his eyes dilate from the realization. "Oh you scheming keener!"

Casey turned and raised an eyebrow at her pseudo-stepbrother as she took a seat on the shallow steps; her body was still immersed in the water. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Once his feet were planted onto the pool floor, Derek slowly walked towards Casey with an awed/impressed look upon his face. He didn't want to believe what his mind came up with but how could he not after the secret she had shared with him? "It wouldn't have matter if I had gotten my driver's license on my fourth try instead of my fifth because _you_ would have already won our little gas bet before it even started." He explained his line of thinking while recalling the time when he had instigated the gas bet with her when they were fighting over who had the better driving skills (guys or girls).

Casey's face held a note of indifference to it as she leaned back on her elbows that were placed on the steps but when Derek got close enough to see, he'd be able to see the look of amusement and triumph in her hazel-green eyes.

Derek continued his trek towards her and when he was able to, he started traveling on his knees yet everything from above his shoulders were still above the surface. "You theoretically would have already had your license for a year by that time." Derek continued with his eyes locked on Casey's face for any clues. He was so focused on her face that his body subconsciously moved so that his torso was just touching her bent knees.

Casey smirked as her answer while completely ignoring the fact that Derek was so close to her once again.

Derek laughed for being right and for the mere idea that Casey was able to pull something like that over him. "Oh you are good!"

"A compliment from Derek Venturi; I'm shocked." The hunter teased with a smile

"Shut up." Derek said with a roll of his eyes as he automatically placed his arms over her knees; their fronts facing one another.

Casey sighed; a sign that she failed in not reacting in any way to Derek's touch as his fingers started to randomly brush across the skin below her knees. "To be quite honest, during that whole bet I actually forgot that I already had my license. Lizzie had to remind me of it after you upped the stakes by adding in the insurance fees." She confessed in hopes of her words being the distraction she needed. Luckily for her, Derek wasn't looking at her but at the spot his hand was brushing against and if the hunter didn't know any better, she could have sworn that his eyes were glazed over just a bit.

"Too caught up in the game?" Derek said but his focus was solely on the feel of her skin beneath his fingers. He didn't know what compelled him to start the motion with his hands but once he started, he just couldn't find it in him to stop.

Casey exhaled deeply as she tried to focus her thoughts back to _who _she was allowing to caress her at the moment; no matter how much she wanted Derek to continue, she couldn't let it. "You could say that. Dean has always said that I was too competitive for my own good."

And just like that, Derek's whole body tensed, his fingers froze in their spot the moment Dean's name had left her lips. It was as if the mention of the oldest Winchester brother had snapped Derek out of his trance. "I'll bet." He grumbled before he pulled himself upright, breaking any physical connection between him and the bikini-clad brunette.

Casey blinked a couple times before she quickly decided that _now_ was the time to leave. She was a little stunned with the sudden mood change within Derek but she couldn't ask for a better moment to make her escape; who knows what would have happened between the two of them if he continued to touch her skin the way he was. She could still feel her skin tingling from where his fingers made contact.

The hunter slowly got out of the pool while mumbling that her clothes should be done prior to grabbing her towel and heading inside.

Derek didn't even watch her retreating form this time as he remained in the pool. He was still reeling over his confused thoughts because he sure as hell didn't know what just happened between them. All he knew was that there was a lot of shifting going on between them but what did that all mean?

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It didn't take much for the recent graduates to avoid each other after their interesting _encounter_ in the pool that afternoon.

Derek managed to stay in the backyard (either in the pool or on the lawn chair) until he heard the family car pulling up into their driveway.

Casey, on the other hand, did what she was supposed to do; she dealt with her clean laundry. She immediately dumped the dry load onto her bed before she grabbed a new set of clothes and rushed to take a shower. She didn't stall in her cleanup routine as that usually led to her thinking things she wasn't supposed to dwell on. Before she knew it, Casey found herself back in her room as she organized the last of her clothes that came from the dry pile. She was working on autopilot at this point yet she didn't mind. She managed to keep herself busy in her room until Lizzie had knocked to let her know that dinner was ready.

Even at dinner Derek and Casey didn't interact with one another unless it was absolutely necessary to keep up appearances. Any questions directed at them were very short and vague to a point that if anyone wanted more of an actual answer, they'd have to ask very specific questions (which just seemed like too much of an effort after their long days). Then again, no one dared to ask Derek any further questions when he didn't supply anything interesting while everyone avoided asking Casey anything after she stated the fact that she was cleaning (who needs to hear about that?). While the graduates didn't give much away, it didn't really take much for Nora to put the pieces together that Casey and Derek had hung out by the pool together (she had found Derek by the pool when she got him before finding Casey's wet bathing suit waiting in the mud-room). Nora didn't share this fact with the rest of the family though.

In general, it was a relatively quiet dinner for the blended family.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

"Here's the last of it mom." Casey stated as she entered the kitchen with the last of the dirty dishes. Everyone else seemed to have fled the scene once dinner was declared over yet she still kept up with calling Nora her mom.

Nora smiled at her niece as the plates clinked against the island's counter. "Thanks Sweetie." She said as she moved to place them into the sink but before Casey could leave the room, Nora called out for her again.

"Yeah?" The hunter hesitantly asked as she stepped back into her original spot.

"Have you heard from Sam and Dean today?" Nora nervously asked even though her tone didn't show it. She hadn't stopped thinking about Dean's rushed voicemail message since she first heard it that morning. She wanted to tell Casey about it but Dean had explicitly stated for her to not do such a thing. He didn't give much away but Nora could tell that he was in a hurry and that something was wrong which only worried her even more, after all he is still her nephew no matter how old he is.

"Why do you think I've been cleaning?" Casey joked a little forcefully; she's was making it a point to not think about her brothers. She didn't think much of their absence at the motel but with every hour that passed with no contact from them was an hour closer until she snapped. From her worries about them or from her fears of being abandoned by them she didn't know but that didn't mean she wanted to find out. "Why do you ask?" She managed to ask without showing her insecurities.

Nora shrugged as she turned her back to place the last of the dishes into the soapy sink. "No reason. I just thought you would have spent the day with them instead of with Derek." Nora's eyes widened, realizing that her words came out wrong, before she tried to rectify her original statement. "Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of you and Derek getting along…"

Casey sighed. "Don't expect it to last." She said sadly which Nora instantly recognized, prompting her to instantly turn around to face her niece.

"Oh dear, did something happen? I thought something was off between you two tonight." The older woman innocently commented, not realizing just how 'on the button' she was when it came to her statement.

"Nothing happened." The hunter emotionlessly stated while avoiding her aunt's probing look.

"Then what is it?" Nora questioned with a confused expression.

Casey sighed once again. "Deadlines Mom…need I say more."

Nora's eyes softened as she noticed the conflicted look in Casey's eyes. "Oh honey…"

The hunter shook her head in a dismissive manner before she straightened herself up. "I better get back to work. I'm almost done with the new arrangement I've set up."

Nora could only nod, wishing that she hadn't brought up her nephews as it had led them to where they were now in their gloomy conversation. "If you insist but don't stay up too late Casey. You may be done with school but you still need your rest."

"I know." The teenager mumbled before she turned to head up to her bedroom.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

All was quiet for the rest of the evening, mainly because the two loud-mouths in the household were locked away in their respective rooms doing their own thing. Casey was doing everything she possibly could do in her room (like cleaning it in some way or she'd work up a sweat with more of her workouts) to keep her mind occupied so that she wouldn't think any deep thoughts. Derek was doing something along the same lines but he kept his distraction to his music and to his computer.

While Derek was having no trouble keeping his thoughts away from that afternoon (and to be quite honest, to anything involving the brunette in general), Casey was finding it more difficult to keep busy as the night progressed; it was easy to say that when she's like this, the hunter could become very productive.

It turns out that by the time midnight had rolled around, Casey was completely finished with packing and rearranging her room. This fact didn't sit well with the hunter because it left her mind open to wander on things that shouldn't be given a second thought. It left her to think about Derek and when she pushed those thoughts aside, it left her mind to think about her brothers which only made her worry even more. Suffice to say that the hunter was too restless to go to sleep early. She even tried to take another shower to relax her body but that didn't really do her any good either.

By this time Casey was so desperate for a distraction that she ended up finding herself in front of the door she should very well stay away from.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Derek was in his room on the computer, surfing the net for who knows how many hours, before he heard an incessant knocking that wouldn't stop. He let loose a frustrated sigh as he removed his headphones. He figured it was Casey that was making the racket and although she would usually just barge into his room without a second thought, that night he had his door locked because he didn't want to be disturbed because, surprisingly, he had a lot to think about.

Derek groaned when the knocking wouldn't stop before he chanced a glance at his clock; it wasn't really late into the night but it was late enough that only they were up. He quickly walked over to his door to unlock and open it. "Do you want to wake up the rest of the house?" He asked in an annoyed tone as he yanked the door open, only to have Casey push her way through. "Well come on in." He sarcastically stated before closing his bedroom door again in hopes that it would muffle their voices as the younger kids continued to sleep peacefully in their rooms.

"Fight with me." Casey firmly stated with her back turned to Derek as she looked out his window. She was tired yet she was too wired to sleep to a point that she was desperate for his help. She didn't dare to think of the consequences her presence in his room would bring, all she cared about was forgetting her troubles and getting some much needed sleep.

Derek stared at her with a confused expression as he leaned against his door; blocking her exit. _Did I hear her right? _"What?"

She turned around to face Derek and he could see her fidgeting with her hands before making eye contact with her. "Fight with me." She repeated more confidently but he could still see some of the anxiety showing through her eyes.

Derek pushed off his door before he made his way to his desk. "Normally, I would just jump at the request without a second thought Case but I'm curious as to _why_ you'd want to fight with me." He stated before he took a seat and resumed his internet surfing.

Casey walked to stand in front of Derek's desk; her hands firmly rested on her hips. "Since when do I need a reason?"

Derek smirked before he lifted his chin to look at her scowling face. "Since us fighting could literally wake up everyone on this floor and I rather not deal with a grumpy Marti." He stated with ease before his brow furrowed out of confusion. _Since when do I care about that? _He thought before he quickly scanned his eyes over Casey, instantly noticing now tense and rigid her body was. "Are you alright?" He found himself asking without hesitation.

"I'm fine." She spat out even though it was clear to the both of them that she wasn't _fine._

Derek scoffed as he leaned back in his chair; his eyes never leaving hers. "Really? Because it's freaking me out how _I'm_ being the considerate one right now." He sassed back with a raised eyebrow.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Oh boo-who for you."

"Wow, great comeback McDonald. That's some of your best work." He sarcastically stated with a chuckle as he crossed his arms across his chest. He was starting to find some amusement in this bizarre situation they've found themselves in.

"Shut up." The hunter snarled through gritted teeth as she turned her back on him to go back to the window.

Derek laughed as he swiveled his chair to follow Casey's movement. "Not until you tell me why you want me to fight with you."

Casey sighed. "You don't even have to fight with me, just _distract_ me somehow Derek…please." She pleaded the last part while looking at him briefly before turning back to look out his window.

Derek gawked at the brunette as if she's just beaten his highest level in Babe Raider; he couldn't believe what she was doing. "Are you even listening to yourself right now Case? You're making absolutely no sense." He managed to sputter out as he stood from his seat.

The hunter immediately turned and fixed a glare on him. "It makes sense to me. Why can't you just do this for me?" She firmly asked even though he could see it in her eyes that she was pleading the question to him.

It was Derek's turn to sigh. "Because I know you Casey and this isn't what you really want." He softly stated but he immediately stepped away from her once he realized that _that _was the wrong thing to say.

"You have no idea what I want!" She shouted in outrage as she stalked towards him. _How dare he?! He doesn't know me so how in the world could he know what I want? _She angrily thought to herself.

"Then tell me!" He retorted back and he wasn't surprised that his anger was rising alongside Casey's anger. This wasn't the only time that they found themselves in-sync with one another.

Casey scoffed. "Why should I? It's not like you're going to share yours with me." She stated as they stared at one another. He could easily see the challenging glint in her hazel-green eyes (he really needs to ask her about that) as she took a step towards him.

Now Derek wasn't the type to back down from a challenge but could he do it? Could he share with her the one thing that he truly wants? The one and only thing that he's found himself craving (yet denying) for what seems like the longest time?

"You're right." Derek mumbled as he slowly closed the distance between them. "I'm more of a take-action kind of guy."

Before he could register what he was doing, Derek snaked his hand around her neck before her crashed his lips onto hers, causing a surprised gasp to escape her lips. Derek Venturi wasn't expecting the instant spark he felt once his lips met hers and he definitely wasn't expecting her to kiss him back so soon or even at all for that matter. He thought it would be a simple peck of the lips to prove that he goes after what he wants, like they were arguing about but boy was he wrong. He knew he should pull away but he couldn't do it as he kissed her back with as much pressure as she was giving him. He could feel her arms snake around his neck before her fingers ended up in his hair as she pulled him closer to her.

It was like a switch was flipped in Derek's mind before his hand trailed down her lithe body to wrap around her waist as his other hand wrapped around her thigh to lift her up before he placed her down on the edge of his desk, earning a gasp from the brunette as she finally released her hold on his mouth. He groaned from the missed contact before he attacked her neck, sucking at her pulse point before placing butterfly kisses across her jaw prior to finding her lips once again. He could feel her legs pulling him towards her body as she fervently kissed him back as if he was her only chance to breathe. He couldn't help but kiss her back with just as much need that she was giving.

In that moment, he didn't care that Casey was his stepsister, all that he cared about was the fact that she was _his_ in that moment, a moment that he wouldn't let himself dream about in fear of what it might mean. A moment he didn't deem as a possibility because of _who_ they both were.

After some time at his desk, he carried her to his bed. Her legs wrapped around his waist more tightly and he couldn't, for the life of him, comprehend a moment where he'd truly felt _alive_. It was like his life before the kiss was all a blur and the moment his lips found hers was when his world came into clear high-definition focus.

The moment her back hit the bed, he was surprised at how quickly she turned the tables on him. She was now straddling him as she laid kisses along his jaw before heading for his neck. All Derek could do was groan from the way she was making him feel with her kisses and her touches; he could feel her fingers brush over his skin as they delved under his shirt. It was the best feeling ever.

He couldn't take it anymore until he claimed her lips once again, distracting her long enough so that he could flip them again, with her beneath him this time. His hands roamed over her body before they hit the gap that was exposed between her tank top and shorts and he couldn't stop himself when his fingers skimmed her skin just under her top, feeling the smooth, toned skin of her stomach while it burned to his touch. He didn't understand how she could make him react like this, it was like she was a drug to him, like it only took that one kiss to unleash this buried need inside him that urged for him to have her…to make her _his_.

He felt her stiffen before she broke off the kiss but he moved his attention to kiss her exposed shoulder, loving the taste of her skin on his lips. He heard mumbling but none of her words registered before she forcibly rolled them over again so that she was straddling him with a look of concentration on her face. He was about to ask her why they stopped but she held her finger up, telling him to be quiet and he obliged. He figured that she might've heard one of the younger kids waking up.

Derek wrapped his arms around her waist to secure her in place before he sat up in his bed. "Case it was-" Before he could finish saying anything, Casey's hand covered his mouth as she leaned her forehead against his. It was then that he noticed the conflicted look in Casey's eyes before he heard a mumbled tune.

"My phone." She stated, as if reading his mind about the unknown tune. "I'm sorry." She whispered before giving him a quick chaste kiss before unstraddling his waist.

Derek caught her wrist before she rushed out. "Ignore it." He didn't want whatever was happening between them moments ago to end; he finally had the courage to act out what he wanted and ending it now would seem disappointing in his eyes. But if it had to end, he needed answers...like why she kissed him back. On second thought, Derek might need time so that he could figure out why he kissed her in the first place? At first he'd say it was to win the challenge she had silently given him but why did he continue?

"I can't. I'm sorry." She whispered again before rushing to her room to answer her cell. He would have followed her just so that she wouldn't ignore what just happened between them but the click of her door's lock prevented him from proceeding with that plan.

So for as long as he was awake that night, he kept reliving that moment over and over again until he fell fast asleep.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Casey rushed back to her room and locked the door before she found the source of her ringtone. All thoughts of Derek and what had happened moments before were pushed to the back of her mind as she raced to answer her cellphone in time.

"Hello?" She answered moments later, a little out of breath.

"_Hey Baby Girl._" Dean cheerfully greeted over the phone.

Casey's anger rose due to her brother's cheerful attitude. "Where the hell have you been Dean?!"

"_Hey now, there is no need to shout. You could wake someone up you know._" Dean quipped with ease as if his sister didn't just yell in his eardrum through his cellphone.

Casey flinched at the reminder of Derek's words from moments before. "I don't care, now answer me!" She yelled yet in the back of her mind, she remembered to keep her voice down just a bit.

"_Not until you calm down._" Dean firmly stated.

Casey scoffed as she started to pace. "Calm down? How can I calm down when I have been worried sick about you all day? Did you forget how much of an effort it takes for me to forget my worries?" She complained all in one breath which caused her to take many deep breaths afterwards.

"_Are you done yet?_" Dean questioned a few moments after Casey started her deep breathing.

"It seems like it." She declaimed with a scowl yet Dean didn't know that.

Dean cleared his throat, a sign for Casey to listen up, before he started to talk. "Alright, so long story short; Dad called last night so now me and Sam are in Waterloo."

"Without me?" She immediately asked even though she should have asked about their father's call first. No matter how independent the youngest Winchester claims to be, she'll always have some form of abandonment issues. It's safe to say that's part of the reason why she's always more comfortable leaving than if someone left her; as if it hurts less for her if done in that way.

Dean exhaled deeply and if Casey were there with him, she could see him pinch the bridge of his nose. "_Sorry kiddo but we left London really late after Dad called and it's a good thing too. Another body was found today for the case Dad warned us about on Saturday. It appears like the thing has gotten an early start so we had to haul ass to get down there ASAP. You understand right?_"

Casey sighed because she did understood completely how urgent their response must be in a scenario such as this. What she didn't understand is _why_ they couldn't have taken her with them. It wasn't hard to give her a head's up and she would have been ready to go in an instant. "Yeah but you could have called and warned me. I was supposed to do that case too." She said a little disappointingly.

She could hear a few ruffling sounds on the line before Dean managed to speak in a calm yet firm manner, "_I know which is why I'm calling now. We've been scouring for information all day, and right now is the only chance I've had to call you._" He explained before taking the necessary breather. "_I'm about an hour away from you, if you can be ready to leave by the time I get there, I will take you to Waterloo for the case but that means there is no turning back Casey because after Waterloo, me and Sam are expected to be at Bobby's. We're not returning to London after this hunt._" He offered with no hesitation and no room for questions; it was evident what Dean was truly saying to her.

Casey immediately stopped her slow paces around her room. _Did he seriously just say what I think he did? _She thought before she managed to somehow voice her thoughts. "You're not?"

"_No and Aunt Nora knows that._" He stated before silence fell between the two Winchesters.

Casey walked over to her bed as she thought of her next move. She wanted to ask just how much Nora knew about her brothers' sudden departure but she couldn't push her mind to focus on that question. It was more focused on the fact that she had a choice to make. She always knew that she was going to leave and join back up with her brothers once she graduated; that had _always_ been the plan. At first she thought she had until the end of the summer before she'd leave but then it was changed until a week after graduation and now…now the date had been moved up to that very night. Did that change her decision?

"_So what's it going to be Casey; are you staying or coming?_" Dean questioned moments later yet he was completely unaware of the dilemma that his sister was fighting in her mind.

And what a dilemma it was because now she had to consider what happened between her and Derek moments before. They had finally kissed and it wasn't some simple peak on the cheek or some meaningless make-out session, it was a full blown, earth-shattering kiss for the hunter and it was all that she needed because Devon was right; one kiss is all it truly takes. And it was with that one kiss that Casey knew what her ultimate decision was.

Casey exhaled deeply as she ran her free hand through her tousled hair. "Well it's a good thing I finished packing my room up tonight."

Dean grunted as a sign of acknowledgement. "_See you in an hour Baby Girl._" He stated before he ended the call.

Casey blew out a nervous breath after the call ended before she got straight to work while silently praising herself that she truly only had a few things to pack.

The hunter didn't bother to change out of her tank top and short shorts but she threw on a sweatshirt before she grabbed her duffel bags from her closet. She made a quick check of the two duffel bags of clothes she had packed with Sam and Dean the previous day. Once she was satisfied that everything she planned on bringing with her were packed away, she went to grab her last empty duffel bag where she'd place any last remaining items inside. Once that was done, Casey headed to her closet safe to grab her weapons' duffel bag.

It was during her check in her weapons' duffel bag did she hear a knock at her door. She immediately froze in hopes that if she didn't make any sudden movements then her visitor (it was most likely Derek) would go away. She definitely didn't want to answer it if it was Derek but who else could it be?

"Casey? Can I come in?" Well there's her answer when the hunter heard her aunt's voice on the other side of her door.

Casey slowly approached the door but she paused when her hand landed on the handle. "Are you alone?"

"It's just me Sweetie. Dean called." Nora explained softly through the door and it wasn't long before she was face to face with her niece who quickly gestured her aunt inside. Nora couldn't help the stunned expression on her face when she took in Casey's packed up room. "So I guess this is why your door has always been locked for the last few days."

Casey shrugged as she locked her door before she moved back to her bed. "Well I figured the least I could do is give your room back to you once I'm gone." She explained before she focused back on her weapons' duffel bag to give it the final look-through. "All my things are packed and labeled in boxes that I placed in the closet; clothes I'm leaving behind, school stuff, extra trinkets, stuff like that. You can easily just store them in the basement and if not, I could ask Bobby if I could store it at his place." The hunter continued while keeping count of what she had in her bag.

Nora walked over to the closet and she was stunned to see that there were indeed labeled boxes besides the empty safe. "Here's fine." She stated before she turned to see Casey retrieve the last of her knives that were hidden. "Is that going with you?" Nora found herself asking a little tensely.

Casey snickered. "Well it'd be pretty idiotic of me to leave them behind." She stated with a smirk before she covered and packed the knives away. She conducted a quick scan of her room before she closed all four of her duffel bags. "I'm done."

Nora nodded with a sigh as she moved closer to her niece. "What do we tell the others?"

"Just tell them I went on a road trip with Sam and Dean as my graduation present before spending some time with my father." Casey stated with a shrug. "It's not an outright lie. They just don't know which father I'm referring to." She continued on until the sound of her vibrating cellphone against her nightstand resonated throughout the quiet room. Casey quickly moved to see that she had received a text message from Dean; he was parked outside. "It's Dean. He's here." She told Nora as she pocketed the device before moving to grab two of her duffel bags.

Nora sighed before she grabbed the remaining two duffel bags.

The two quickly made their way downstairs before coming to a stop at the front door. Casey moved a bag onto her shoulder so that she could open the front door and unlike Nora, she wasn't surprised to find Dean on the other side.

The oldest Winchester gave a small greeting before he took the bags from Nora yet before he could walk away, she rushed to hug her nephew. He wasn't able to return the hug due to his hands being full of Casey's things but he appreciated the gesture. After she let go, Dean headed straight for his car, leaving Nora and Casey to say their goodbyes.

Nora instantly moved in and hugged the teenager. "Please be careful Casey and call whenever you can." She whispered before she pulled back to look at the girl she's come to call her daughter.

Casey softly smiled at the older woman. "I will Aunt Nora. Please don't worry about me."

Nora softly laughed as if the request was absurd for her to consider. "I can't help it."

Casey nodded as she moved to kiss her aunt on the cheek before she headed to join Dean by the Impala.

Nora watched as Casey dumped her bags into the backseat before she slid into the passenger seat with Dean already behind the wheel. She remained at the front door as she watched them pull out and drive off. She was very relieved for the darkness as it was able to hide the fact that she had a few tears streaming down her face. She was going to miss Casey.

Back in the Impala, all was quiet between the siblings. Dean was focused on his driving yet he was aware of Casey's every movement, especially when she pulled out her cellphone. He didn't say anything about it or the abnormal silence that fell between them; normally Casey would be asking him to fill her in on the current hunt by this point.

It wasn't until she put her phone away did he say anything. "Want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather talk about the case." Casey stated with a sigh. She didn't want to think about what happened with Derek. She feared that the mere thought would bring her to tears.

Dean did as requested and he filled Casey in on what they had discovered. The mere conversation had the order restored between them…for the time-being at least.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

The sound of a vibrating cellphone against a wooden nightstand in a Toronto bedroom had led to its occupant waking up in a grumpy manner. He was never a deep sleeper and it was times like this that that fact really irked him. He fumbled around for a bit until he found the offending device. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he flicked the thing open.

His brow furrowed out of confusion when he noticed the unknown number before he read the text message.

_"You were right. One kiss is all that was needed and it's that one kiss that has sealed my fate with him. Look out for him for me Devon because if I stay, I fear that it will not end well for him."_

He reread the message once again before the words fully settled into his mind. He couldn't help it when his eyes dilated further when he got all the confirmation he needed when he looked at the name at the bottom.

_Cay_.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**A/N #3: **There you have it...now what do you think? Let me just say that I had fun writing the Dasey scenes in this chapter and I truly hope it worked for you guys as well. Now what did you think about it? Not only did Derek learn a few of Casey's secrets but the duo had their first kiss! What do you think of Casey's decision in the end? Just keep in mind that the timing of the Dasey kiss has been thought of since the _very_ beginning. Lastly, what do you think Casey meant by her text message to Devon...do you think she was cryptic about something? **PLEASE let me know what you think in a review! **

**A/N #4: **Alright, I just want to give a heads up that updates (for any of my stories) will most likely be delayed as I get further into my semester...which just so happens to correlate with the start up of the new seasons -_-. The next update I can guarantee is for my **LWD/VD story** **"A Journey To Find A Lost Soul"** (expected to be posted on Oct. 11). The thing I **will** update weekly is my _LiveJournal_ account so if you check that out, not only will you get my personal thoughts on the upcoming new episodes but I may throw in some updating info. Just keep an eye out for those!

**A/N #5:** Last note I promise...did you guys hear about the possibility of a **second LWD series titled "Life with Derek, Again"**? Last week I saw the pictures, I read the little blog (you can find the link on one of my LJ posts) and I was immediately ecstatic to see the possibility slowly becoming reality. What are your thoughts about the possible LWD renewal? Love it or hate it? Let me know in a review!

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**Originally Published: **September 26, 2012


	24. Ch 23: She's Gone

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 23: She's Gone**

**A/N #1: OMG! **I am so sorry for the delay in updates…I can't believe its been 6 months since I updated! Once I realized that I just had to update today (**Jensen Ackles' birthday!**) since its always been a tradition for me so I managed to write this down in two days (I can't believe I managed that) so its a lot shorter than usual. The tone may be a little different but I hope not by much!

**A/N #2:** THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the readers and reviewers for this story. It truly means the world to me to hear your thoughts and see the support that you have given me for this story.

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **325****th**** Reviewer **goes to **Crimson and Chrome 42**.

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Dinner Guest"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **none

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **none

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**LAST TIME:**

Derek caught her wrist before she rushed out. "Ignore it." He didn't want whatever was happening between them moments ago to end; he finally had the courage to act out what he wanted and ending it now would seem disappointing in his eyes. But if it had to end, he needed answers...like why she kissed him back. On second thought, Derek might need time so that he could figure out why he kissed her in the first place? At first he'd say it was to win the challenge she had silently given him but why did he continue?

"I can't. I'm sorry." She whispered again before rushing to her room to answer her cell. He would have followed her just so that she wouldn't ignore what just happened between them but the click of her door's lock prevented him from proceeding with that plan.

So for as long as he was awake that night, he kept reliving that moment over and over again until he fell fast asleep.

***SC***

Nora watched as Casey dumped her bags into the backseat before she slid into the passenger seat with Dean already behind the wheel. She remained at the front door as she watched them pull out and drive off. She was very relieved for the darkness as it was able to hide the fact that she had a few tears streaming down her face. She was going to miss Casey.

***SC***

His brow furrowed out of confusion when he noticed the unknown number before he read the text message.

"_You were right. One kiss is all that was needed and it's that one kiss that has sealed my fate with him. Look out for him for me Devon because if I stay, I fear that it will not end well for him."_

He reread the message once again before the words fully settled into his mind. He couldn't help it when his eyes dilated further when he got all the confirmation he needed when he looked at the name at the bottom.

_Cay_.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[Wed. June 30, 2004]_

All was quiet in the McDonald-Venturi household as dawn approached. Normally there would be movement of any kind in one of the bedrooms on the second floor but that wasn't the case this morning. That won't be the case anymore in the future as the early-riser was no longer an occupant of the household. Casey wasn't there anymore.

It was a thought that had kept Nora up all night since she said her goodbyes to the girl she had grown to see as her own daughter and not just her niece. So when she couldn't fall back to sleep, Nora ended up staring at the ceiling all night as she tried to figure out what to say to the family about Casey's absence. She knew the kids may accept the excuse that Casey had told her to tell them but Nora knew that George wasn't going to settle for that excuse. She needed to tell him some ounce of truth and hope that it didn't affect their marriage in any way.

With the decision to tell George the semi-truth about Casey, Nora got out of bed to call in sick for the day (there was just no way she would be able to function properly with no sleep) before she got ready for the day. Nora would much rather sleep but she needed to take care of the children first.

When she was done showering and getting dressed, Nora opened the bathroom door only to be greeted by a sleepy George.

Nora mustered up a smile before she kissed George on the cheek. "Morning George."

George gave his wife a sleepy smile as he muttered a response to her before he headed into the bathroom.

Nora shook her head out of amusing before she called out to George again, stopping him in his tracks before he turned to face her.

"Yeah?"

Nora exhaled deeply as she tried to keep up her calm exterior. "I was wondering if we could have lunch at home today…I have something I want to talk to you about."

George's brow furrowed out of confusion but it was obvious that he was more awake now due to Nora's words. "Um, sure Nora. Is everything okay?" He asked as he gave her a worried look.

Nora nodded. "Yes but I'd rather talk about it at lunch if that's okay."

George nodded before he found himself being pushed into the bathroom. Apparently he was more behind than he thought in getting ready that morning. After hearing the toilet flush and the shower start up, Nora headed upstairs to make breakfast for everyone.

It wasn't long before Nora found herself in the company of the children just as she was finishing up with breakfast. The children were a bit surprised that Casey wasn't the one in the kitchen but Nora divert that thought by giving them tasks to help her out.

"Even if she's not making breakfast, I still don't see how she's not down here yet." Edward commented once again while dealing with the task of pouring out three glasses of milk.

"Can we not discuss…" Nora was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. "Can one of you get that?" She asked as she dished the last of the breakfast onto the plates.

Marti quickly scurried to answer the phone. "McDonald-Venturi residence…oh, hi Sam!"

Nora and Lizzie turned to face Marti since they weren't sure which Sam was on the phone with Marti.

"He's still sleeping…okay, I'll tell him. Bye Sam!" Marti stated before she hung up the phone and turned to the others. "Sam wanted to know if Derek wanted in on a pick-up roller hockey game."

Edwin snickered. "I'm surprised he phoned this early." He stated before he moved the glasses to the dining table while Lizzie carried a few of the plates.

Marti shrugged. "He said that he was hoping that he'd be awake."

"Well, you can go deliver the news to Derek after you wake him up Marti." Nora suggested as she moved all the dirty cookware into the sink.

Marti didn't need to be told twice as she rushed upstairs to wake up her oldest brother. This left everyone else to down for breakfast.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Derek was in the middle of another of his Casey-centric dreams when he heard a drastic knock on his door before it opened.

He was about to curse at the intruder for disrupting his sleep when his name kept being repeated before he felt his body being nudged.

It wasn't just any name either, it was the nickname his baby sister had given him…cursing was out of the question now.

"What Smarti?" Derek grumbled with his head still pressed into his pillows.

Marti nudged Derek in the shoulder a few times. "Breakfast is ready."

Derek turned his head so that his mouth was free from the confinements of his pillow yet his eyes remained closed. "So? It's before noon Smarti, you know my rule."

Marti sighed. "But Sam called for you too Smerek." She said while poking at his shoulder again at every word.

Derek opened his eyes and stared at his little sister. "What?"

Seeing that she had her brother's attention, Marti rushed to relay the message to him. "Sam called. He wanted to know if you wanted in on a roller-hockey game or something. He said he tried your cell but it was off so he left a message before he called the house. He wanted to make sure you got it before you missed out on the game." She inhaled deeply afterwards before noticed the sleepy yet impressed look she was getting from him.

After seeing that his sister was breathing normally again, he pointed towards his cellphone. "Pass my phone."

Marti headed towards the charging cellphone that was on his desk. "Casey says that you need to say the magic word first." She commented as she unhooked the device.

Derek groaned at the mention of their stepsister. "Ugh, please don't bring Casey up to me right now." He stated while he tried to push all confusing thoughts about her out of his mind.

Marti pouted as she moved towards his bed, only to stop out of arms reach from him before she gave him an expectant look.

After some time of Marti not moving, Derek groaned again before he held his hand out to her. "Fine, can you _please_ pass me my phone?"

Pleased with his use of manners, Marti smiled and handed her brother his cellphone.

Derek rolled his eyes before he turned the device on.

"I thought you and Casey were getting along." Marti questioned while Derek's attention was on his phone.

"That doesn't mean I want to talk about her." Derek replied before he noticed that he had a few text messages and a voicemail in his inbox.

"Okay but you shouldn't be mean to her." Marti stated before she made her way towards Derek's door.

Derek looked up at his retreating sister. "And why's that?"

Marti turned to face him. "She could leave." She stated innocently before she left his room, not giving him a chance to ask her anything else.

Derek stared at the spot Marti was just in for a few moments before he snapped out of it and returned his attention back to his phone.

He listened to Sam's voicemail about the roller-hockey game that was taking place that day before he checked the corresponding text message that had the time and place of the game.

Derek was about to close his phone and head to the bathroom but another text message in his inbox had caught his eye. Curious as to who send it to him since the number wasn't in his address book, Derek opened it up, only to have his eyes widen after he finished reading it.

_**What happened between you and Casey last night?**_

_**~Devon**_

Derek remained frozen as a myriad of images from last night came to mind; images of him making out with Casey on his bed. At first he thought it was just another one of his fantasies that wouldn't leave him alone but Devon's text just had Derek more convinced that Derek did kiss Casey the previous night.

_What the hell am I going to do now? _

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

As noon was quickly approaching, all was quite in the McDonald-Venturi household which was something Nora needed and hated at the same time. After breakfast, Nora had dropped off the kids at their friends' houses for the day before she returned home, only to see Derek rush off for the roller-hockey game that Marti mentioned at breakfast. With the house to herself, Nora had done some cleaning in the basement; she was basically packing up their things so that they could be moved. She would have moved all their things into Casey's room (and vice versa) but she decided that she needed to tell George before that happened.

Nora was brought out of her worrying thoughts when the front door opened. She could then hear George calling out to her.

Nora quickly moved from the kitchen (where she was making their lunch) into the front room to greet her husband. "Thanks for coming home for lunch."

"It was nothing but I'm a little worried about what you have to tell me." George explained as he took off his blazer; he hated wearing them, especially when the summer season was just beginning.

Nora nodded as she waited. "I think I should show you something first before I explain it all." She said before she started making her way upstairs.

George frowned before he followed behind Nora; as far as he knew, none of the kids were supposed to be home. "Show me what?"

"It has to do with Casey." Nora declared just as they approached Casey's bedroom door.

Noticing the closed door and the forlorn look on Nora's face, George started to panic. "Is she okay? I mean I didn't see her at breakfast but I thought she had just given herself an early start or something." He rambled before he felt Nora's hand on his arm.

"Casey's fine but George…I need you to hear me out before you start freaking out." She reassured him even though she really didn't want to have this conversation with him. She knew she should have told him the truth from the beginning but Casey didn't want that and Nora respected that.

George sighed. "You know you really shouldn't start a conversation like that. It's as bad as saying 'we need to talk' to your partner."

Nora gave her husband a small smile before she removed her hand to grab the key that Casey had given her before she left. She unlocked the bedroom before she motioned for George to open it.

A little hesitant at first but George eventually opened the door. He was slow in doing so since he wasn't sure what he was opening the door to. What he found wasn't what he was expecting. He thought that he'd find Casey very ill in bed…which would have been the worst case scenario possible but what he found, that scenario never crossed his mind; this should have been made his absolutely worst case scenario.

"I don't understand." George muttered after five minutes of processing that Casey's room was all boxed up with labels in _her_ handwriting. _When did she pack? Why did she pack? Where is she?_ Those were only the first few questions that popped into George's mind before he was able to speak again.

Nora sighed. "She's gone George. She left last night."

He turned and gave his wife an incredulous look. "And you didn't stop her?"

"It wasn't my decision." Nora stated sadly; she couldn't blame George for his reaction.

"You're her mother Nora, you would have had a say!" George argued back; he couldn't understand how this could have happened.

Nora shook her head. "Not anymore."

"Just because she's eighteen, that doesn't mean she could just run off in the middle of the night! Although by the looks of her room, she was planning this for a while." He quickly pointed out as he stepped further into the room. He pulled a few drawers open, only to find them empty, before he moved to the closet. He found a few more boxes, some spare hangers and an empty safe.

Nora inhaled deeply as she tried to stay calm. "You promised that you wouldn't freak out."

"How could I not freak out?!" He questioned as he moved towards her again. "One of our kids has run off! She could be anywhere for all we know."

"She's with Dean. She's fine." Nora immediately stated as if it was the obvious answer.

George scowled. "I never liked him."

Nora rolled her eyes; George was warming up to Dean. "That's a lie and you know it." She countered before she stepped away from Casey's door. "Now are you going to let me explain it to you or not?" She asked before she moved to walk back downstairs.

George quickly followed behind her. "What is there to explain Nora? Casey is gone."

Once her feet touched down on the main floor, Nora whirled around to stare up at George. "Don't you think I know that? I've known for four years that the moment she graduated that Casey would be leaving."

George froze on the stair's small landing. "What?"

"You heard me." Nora said with a sigh before she headed for the kitchen.

George shook his head before he followed after his wife. "If you knew then why didn't you stop her?"

"Like I said, it wasn't my decision." Nora repeated as she went to the coffee machine.

"Which doesn't make sense when she's your daughter." George countered back as he watched Nora turn the coffee machine off before grabbing milk and then some cups.

"That's just the thing George, Casey's not my daughter." She confessed a few moments later with her back turned to him.

George's jaw dropped. He was not expecting that, he didn't really know how to react to that bit of information. How does someone react to the news that the girl you've accepted as your step-daughter isn't even the daughter of the woman you married?

"If Casey's not your daughter then who is she?" George asked slowly after a few moments of silence.

"She's my niece. She is John's daughter." Her back was still turned to him; she just couldn't face him. Instead she focused on pouring the freshly made coffee into them. She then added some milk into her cup.

"John…as in the brother that you haven't seen in _years_?" George wasn't expecting that; he knew very little about John since Nora would never bring him up, even when they first started dating he wasn't brought up that often. Then again it would explain how Casey looked like Nora in some aspects without them being mother and daughter like he originally thought.

Nora sighed before she slowly turned to face George. "The last time I saw John was four years ago when he dropped Casey off at my place in Toronto."

He blinked a couple of times as he tried to process everything yet more questions kept popping up. "Okay you need to start from the beginning." He stated before they moved their conversation to the dining table; George carried their drinks while Nora carried their plates.

And so she did but she kept out the supernatural elements. Nora told George how John had contacted her and asked if Casey could stay with her for four years so that she could have a proper education instead of the home-school education she had been getting at the time. She explained how she didn't object since she thought of it as an opportunity to get to know the niece she barely got to see since John moved around a lot due to his job (which she didn't go into detail with). She added in that the only reason Casey agreed to living with Nora was because she was promised that she could go back to her dad once she graduated; this surprised George yet it made him understand Casey's reason for leaving a little better. She then explained how during her stay in Canada how Casey wanted everyone to think of her as Nora's daughter so that no one questioned why her father had sent her to live with her aunt.

"That all sounds…complicated Nora but why not tell me from the start? And why let her leave with Dean?" George questioned after Nora finished talking. He had to resist the urge to ask her questions during her explanation, so much so that he had to call upon the lawyer in him that listened to the facts before asking for clarifications. Instead he focused on finishing his lunch while Nora did all the talking.

Nora sighed. "You're a lawyer George. Casey was worried that if you knew then you might build a case against her father and at the time, she didn't know you well enough to trust you. She didn't want to jeopardize any chance of reuniting with John."

George nodded as the explanation made sense. "And Dean?" Nora's trust in Dean still didn't make sense to George.

Nora giggled at the thought of Dean being a danger to Casey like George was insinuating. "I'm pretty sure that I told you before that John had two sons working with him." She said before she moved to take a small sip of her coffee; she was amused by the stunned expression on her husband's face.

"Sam and Dean are Casey's brothers?" George questioned after a few moments. Every moment he witnessed between the three of them was seen in a new light. All he knew was that everything, especially their closeness, now made sense.

Nora nodded. "It's why I said that she'd be safe with them; they would never hurt her." She restated as she placed her cup back onto the table. "The brothers even hated the idea of Casey coming here because they didn't want her to be so far away from them. They grew up to be very close."

George exhaled deeply as he leaned back into his chair. "I just can't believe it." He confessed before he ran a hand through his hair.

Nora finished up her lunch as she watched George process everything for a few moments; it was like she could see the cogs turning in his brain as he tried to make sense of everything. She couldn't blame him for wanting the silence; she could only image what a small detail like Casey's origins could be doing to his mind.

For George, the truth about Casey seemed to make things clearer for him. How she dealt with certain situations or certain people that didn't make sense to him now did with the added information that Casey had basically grown up with two older, protective brothers. At one point, George had thought of his own children when he thought of Casey and the Winchesters.

"You can't tell anyone about this George." Nora said after giving George a few moments to his thoughts.

George looked back up at his wife, his attention back on her again.

"Casey only said I could tell you because we both knew that you wouldn't let her leaving just slide with a simple excuse." Nora said firmly, with hope that she conveyed that this truth was Casey's decision since it affected her the most.

"And what excuse would that be? What are we to tell people if they asked?" George questioned before he took a sip of his coffee.

Nora took another sip of her coffee before she told George what Casey had told her before she left. "Casey received a graduation road trip gift from family friends that she cashed in during the summer. Then she will meet up with her father in New York, where she would be attending university thanks to a scholarship she received."

"Is any of that true though?" George asked with a raised eyebrow; he did find the cover story impressive.

Nora nodded. "All of it except for the New York part." Casey had wanted to stick as close to the truth as possible to prevent any slipups in the future.

George's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Isn't Dennis in New York?"

Nora nodded but she didn't elaborate on it any further.

Taking note of this, George started asking about Dennis. "Where does Dennis fit in to Casey's life?" He asked as he thought back to when he had first met Dennis McDonald. "Because when he came for dinner that one time, he played the role of Casey's father. I hadn't suspected that he wasn't."

Nora chuckled a bit at the thought of her ex-husband's visit. "Dennis and John grew up together. John is the one who actually introduced me to Dennis."

He slowly nodded his head as he digested that new tidbit. "Okay but pretending to be your best friend's…kid's…father…" he needed to say that part slowly so that he got the title right, "…is going beyond the call of a friend."

"Dennis is also the godfather to all three of John's kids. He'd do anything for them if they asked." She declared with absolute certainty before she sipped her coffee again.

George mimicked her with his own cup of coffee. "Does Lizzie know?" He asked a few moments later.

Nora exhaled deeply as she thought of her preteen daughter. "She knows but she sometimes forgets. She doesn't know that Casey left though."

George nodded as he thought of his own children; _how are they going to react to the news?_ "What are we going to tell the kids?"

"The same thing we would have told everyone else." She stated with a shrug before she stood up to put her empty dishes away. He followed her lead soon after that.

For the remainder of George's lunch break, he helped Nora move a few things between Casey's room and their basement bedroom while he asked any questions that came to his mind on the subject. Nora answered them as best she could.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

Derek was towel-drying his hair when he heard the knock on the bathroom door, followed by Edwin shouting at him that dinner was ready before he headed downstairs. He was relieved that he managed to finish his shower in time for dinner since he only got home twenty minutes ago. Once Derek had met up with Sam shortly after he had woken up, the day was filled with nonstop roller-hockey games between high school players from all over the distinct. The friendly rivalry was fun as a mini tournament started with players being randomly sorted into teams just to keep it playful. Derek had fun playing with all the guys in the one sport they all had in common but they went longer than he expected. Luckily, Nora had told Derek that he had enough time to shower before dinner because the family didn't want to sit through a meal while Derek reeked of body odor. He couldn't argue with that. The fact that it was Nora's spaghetti dinner (which he loved) just motivated Derek further when it came to having a quick shower.

Derek arrived with all eyes on him but once he sat in his seat, three sets of eyes went straight to the empty chair across from him. Derek gathered up any addition pieces of food onto his plate before he focused on Casey's empty seat. He couldn't help but wonder where she was since the last time he had saw her was when they had kissed…made-out seemed more appropriate the more he thought about it.

All the kids, including Derek, were surprised to hear George tell everyone to dig into their dinner.

"Shouldn't we wait for Casey?" Marti questioned with a furrowed brow as her eyes shifted between the adults and the empty chair.

George sighed as he twirled his spaghetti onto his fork. "Casey won't be joining us for dinner." He said without meeting anyone's eyes.

The Venturi stared at their father with evident confusion in their eyes.

Lizzie, on the other hand, had turned to her mother as the sinking feeling in her stomach started to grow alongside her suspicions as to why Casey wasn't there.

Marti frowned. "Why not?" She asked, breaking the silence which resulted in both Venturi brothers starting to eat.

"She can't still be shopping. I don't care if girls like to shop because there is just no way that one girl could shop for an entire day. Even Casey has to have her limits!" Edwin protested before he took a bite out of his garlic toast. During breakfast, Nora had told the family that Casey had left early to have a head start in her errands and shopping.

"It's not that Edwin." George stated before he grabbed a piece of garlic toast for himself.

Before anyone could ask, Nora intercepted as she twirled her spaghetti around her fork. "Casey left for an early trip this morning."

"What?" All Venturi eyes had turned to Nora; Derek even froze when he was about to eat a forkful of spaghetti. Lizzie just blinked.

Nora sighed as she continued to slowly twirl her fork. "For graduation, Casey was given the opportunity to go on a road trip this summer to explore the country. She was supposed to leave at the end of the week but something had come up, leaving her departure to come earlier than she had expected." She calmly explained before she ate the forkful of noodles.

"With who?" Edwin questioned, his garlic toast forgotten. Derek, on the other hand, continued to eat his spaghetti yet his eyes narrowed when his mind figured out who Casey could have left with.

"Sam and Dean."

Derek had to resist the urge to sneer for the confirmation Nora had just given him; he knew those guys were trouble.

Nora dabbed a napkin to her mouth to cause a stray sauce drop before she continued. "The plan was that after their visit, they would take Casey on this road trip, giving them a chance to catch up since they haven't hung out in a really long time, and then take her to her dad's for a few weeks but the brothers got called in to take care of something urgent for their father so they had to leave earlier than expected. Since they weren't going to be coming back to Canada any time soon, if Casey wanted to go on the road trip, she would have to leave with them."

"Which is what she did." Derek interrupted with a scoff and a mouth full of noodles. To anyone at the table, it would look like Derek was jealous at the fact that Casey got to go on some vacation when his European trip had to be postponed due to his Queens acceptance but if only they knew the truth.

"She didn't say goodbye." Marti whispered as she trailed her fork through her spaghetti; she hadn't eaten any of it yet.

"Oh she would have Marti but she didn't want to wake you, any of you." Nora said softly and comfortingly as she could as she looked between the crestfallen faces of the younger children; Marti was biting her bottom to stop it from trembling as Lizzie stared at her plate with a disbelieving look on her face while Edwin tried to not show any emotion but his eyes had given him away.

"Good riddance." Derek mumbled before eating. His comment wasn't quiet enough as everyone heard, resulting in them shouting his name yet it didn't affect him because the one person who said it like he wanted it to wasn't there to do it.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It was just after midnight when Derek found himself able to have some alone time together.

After the news had been dropped about Casey, dinner continued on in silence before everyone retreated to their rooms. Derek would have happily done the same thing until he caught Marti trying to hold her tears in as she stared into Casey's room. It was then that he noticed that Casey's things had been replaced with the items from the basement bedroom. Not wanting to see his baby sister cry, Derek had directed her away from that room while promising her that he'd do whatever she wanted for the night. And that's what he did; Derek had spent the rest of the night with Marti as he tried to distract her in any way he could. They watched a movie, he let her rope him into a game with her dolls before he finished off the night by reading her a bedtime story.

It was only when he walked back into his bedroom, with the same pajamas on last night, did images of last night start to appear in the forefront of his mind. He remembered the spark that emerged when their lips touched, the feel of her skin under his hands and lips whenever he kissed her somewhere on her body, or the way her body felt pressed against his as they fell onto the bed together. He remembered the urgency he had when it came to truly feeling her like he was never able to before, the rush of excitement when she moaned because of what he did to her.

But then he remembered how she left because her phone was ringing. Or how she gave him a breathy apology before she took off to answer the call, leaving him to stew in the aftermath of what they had done.

And that was the last time he saw her.

There was no awkward aftermath between them, no postponing stints about whether something should happen or not…no nothing because she was _gone_ with who knows how much distance between them. She had made that choice for the both of them…

…And that thought infuriated him.

Before he even realized it, Derek snatched up his phone. He quickly hit the speed dial button followed by the button '7' before he moved the phone to his ear. He started to pace as the rings added up but when he got her voice-mail, his anger only increased.

"_Hey this is Casey, I can't come to the phone right now so please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._" He heard her cheery voice say on the message before the universal beep finished it off.

Before he could come to his senses and hang up, Derek found himself leaving a message. "You know I didn't take you for a runner Casey but I guess I was wrong. The least you could have done was say goodbye to Marti but I guess she never meant anything to you if you left her high and dry." He furious rushed out before he ended the call and threw his phone onto his bed.

It took Derek an hour for him to calm down enough for him to go to bed. Too exhausted by the day's events, he slumped into bed only to find his phone in the way. Before he made a move to toss the phone onto his nightstand, he notice the blinking light that signaled that he had a message. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to truly fall asleep until his curiosity was sated, he flipped the phone open before he navigated to his inbox.

Not only was he surprised to find a text message from a blocked number but the words made it clear to him who exactly was behind that blocked number.

_**I'm sorry but its better this way. You'll understand one day.  
Until then, take care of them and yourself Der.**_

He didn't need a send-off at the end.

He knew it was Casey…yet it didn't explain why he had this dull aching in his chest when he finally drifted off to dreamland.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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**A/N #3: **There you have it...now what do you think? I'm sorry if there was no Casey present but I just wanted to focus on the McDonald-Venturi family that was left behind in London. What did you think of Nora's confession to George? How about dinner? Derek's reaction? I apologize if it seems a bit rushed or unedited but its almost 2am and I really wanted to post before I went to bed. **PLEASE let me know what you think in a review! **

**A/N #4: **Just a heads up to all the SPN fans to this story. I had started a SPN/VD series back in December called **"More Than A Petrova"**. So if you find some time waiting for my updates for this story, I hope you check out that crossover story if you so happen to be a VD fan as well. Once again thank you all so much for your patience, it truly means the world to me and I'm eternally grateful for it!

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**Originally Published: **March 1, 2013


	25. Ch 24: Returning to Old Roots

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 24: Returning to Old Roots  
**

**A/N #1: **Hey guys! I know its been awhile but I just had to post today because its **Jared Padalecki's birthday! **It seemed only fitting since the previous update was on Jensen's birthday. I know I should post more frequently but summer school + slight writer's block is slowing me down.

**A/N #2:** I just wanted to quickly say **thank you so much **to all you readers/reviewers/alerters! Your support means the world to me and I'm just thrilled that you're taking this journey with me! So I hope you enjoy this chapter and I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **325****th**** Reviewer **goes to **Crimson and Chrome 42**. Another shout out goes to the **340th Reviewer** who was a _**Guest (4/9/13)**. _

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"The Poxfather", "March Break", and "Casey & Ralph?!"

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Devil's Trap"

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **none

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**LAST TIME:**

"She didn't say goodbye." Marti whispered as she trailed her fork through her spaghetti; she hadn't eaten any of it yet.

"Oh she would have Marti but she didn't want to wake you, any of you." Nora said softly and comfortingly as she could as she looked between the crestfallen faces of the younger children; Marti was biting her bottom to stop it from trembling as Lizzie stared at her plate with a disbelieving look on her face while Edwin tried to not show any emotion but his eyes had given him away.

"Good riddance." Derek mumbled before eating. His comment wasn't quiet enough as everyone heard, resulting in them shouting his name yet it didn't affect him because the one person who said it like he wanted it to wasn't there to do it.

***SC***

Not only was he surprised to find a text message from a blocked number but the words made it clear to him who exactly was behind that blocked number.

_**I'm sorry but its better this way. You'll understand one day.  
Until then, take care of them and yourself Der.**_

He didn't need a send-off at the end.

He knew it was Casey…yet it didn't explain why he had this dull aching in his chest when he finally drifted off to dreamland.

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*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

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_[July 2004]_

"_Hey, you've reached Casey's phone. Sorry I can't talk at the moment but leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able to." _The recording of Casey's voice greeted the listener over the phone before they punched in the appropriate code to access the voicemail messages. There were many new ones yet the inbox was dangerously close to being full. Normally, messages would be deleted after they've been heard yet this receiver didn't have the heart to delete them, especially from a specific guy that she left things hanging between them. There were only a few messages from him yet those were enough for her.

Unfortunately the receiver's routine was getting on a certain driver's nerves.

"You really need to stop doing that." Dean commented out of the blue from the driver's seat of his Impala as he watched Casey fiddle with her phone again. Through his rearview mirror, he saw her hold the device up to her ear before lowering it so that she could punch in the familiar code that started the whole torturous routine.

Casey looked up and gave her brother a questioning look. "Stop doing what?"

Dean narrowed his eyes as he used the rearview mirror to look between Casey and her phone. "That!" he noticed that Sam was giving him this look, telling him to not breech the subject but Dean wouldn't listen (he had enough), "You've constantly checked that phone every day for the last three weeks. Just get rid of the phone if you're not going to answer the messages on them."

It's been three weeks since they left London, Ontario and headed to Waterloo for a case. It turned out to be a pagan god that was responsible for all the ritualistic killings and fortunately for the Winchesters, they were able to wrap the case up a couple of days ago. Currently they were passing through Chicago, Illinois as they slowly made their way to Bobby Singer's place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota but that wasn't what Dean was peeved about. During the last three weeks, Casey had developed the habit of checking her voicemails every day and then not responding to them. At first she would check the phone at the end of each day but then her checks got more frequent to the point that she would listen to old messages during any breaks she took. Casey was torturing herself by constantly reminding herself of what she was leaving behind in London and Dean was fed up by it.

Casey sighed as her grip on her phone tightened; she got why Dean was irritated yet she couldn't help it. Some connections were easier to break than others. "I can't."

"And why the hell not?" he argued as he focused on the open road ahead of them, "What you're doing isn't healthy Case."

Casey sighed as her fingers brushed over the device. "Derek gave me this phone." She remembered how her _reward_ for helping Derek out with his side-business when he got the chicken pox was her very own cell phone. While he never knew that Casey already had a cell phone that her father had given her, the fact that Derek had gotten her a cell phone of her own had touched Casey deeply. She just couldn't leave it behind.

Dean rolled his eyes, "All the more reason to chuck it."

"Dean." Sam turned and gave his brother a pointed look. Sam understood where both his siblings were coming from when it came to Casey's new habit and yet he thought that Dean's comment was just crossing the line. Sam didn't expect Casey to immediately cut all times from her life in London once she got on the road yet it seemed like Dean did.

"What?" Dean quickly turned to face Sam, "She left for a reason and yet she's torturing herself by listening to those voicemail messages over and over again." He argued before he shifted his eyes back onto the road, "What good is any of that going to do for her?"

Sam sighed as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's been awhile for her Dean, just let her adjust."

"I'm sitting right here you know." Casey huffed from the backseat as she crossed her arms over her chest, "And I don't need to adjust. I'm fine."

Dean scoffed, "Your attachment to that phone says otherwise."

Sam groaned as he shifted in his seat so that he could see both his siblings. "Can you guys just stop it?"

Casey and Dean avoided looking at Sam but their silence was enough for Sam to know that they would stop their bickering. Sam even went as far as to confiscate Casey's London-phone so that she wouldn't be tempted to check it again. Casey didn't like it but she relented when Sam told her that he'd give it back once they reached Bobby's place.

There was silence in the Impala until Casey spoke a few moments later.

"So how much farther until Bobby's?"

Dean groaned, "Seriously? What are you, five?"

"It's been awhile since I was stuck in a car for longer than a few hours." Casey argued as she glared at Dean's head; he could feel her glare on him, which irritated him.

Sam shook his head. He wasn't sure if he'd last the remaining eight hour drive if Dean and Casey bickered throughout the whole trip. At least the bickering was enough of a distraction for his sister…whether she was aware of it or not.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

**Meanwhile: **

It was another sunny July day in London, Ontario and everyone was taking advantage of the weather. While the parents were at work and the younger kids were involved in summer day-camps or at their friend's house, Derek was taking advantage of the fact that he had the house to himself. The last three weeks had been hectic so the graduate was taking the time to relax by the pool with Sam and Ralph.

For Derek, the day was a fabulous one until Sam brought up the one thing Derek didn't want to talk about.

"Have you heard anything from Casey?" Sam questioned from his side of the shallow end. He and Ralph were playing a little beach-ball-volleyball game in the shallow end.

Derek groaned from his spot by the net; he was acting as referee for the current game. "Why would you bring her up? I was enjoying my day."

Sam shrugged as he passed the beach ball over the net. "I'm just wondering since she hasn't returned my calls."

"I've heard nothing from her." Ralph offered as he caught and passed the beach ball back to Sam.

Derek looked between his friends with a disbelieving look on his face. "You called her?" he sputtered, as if the concept wasn't possible to grasp, "Why in the world would you call her?"

Sam caught the beach ball and gave Derek a pointed look. "She's my friend, why wouldn't I call her?"

Derek groaned. He couldn't believe that his friends would try to call up his stepsister. At first, he was peeved when he learned that Casey had just up and left not even a day after their…_incident_ together but he soon came to realize that her road trip was a blessing in disguise. Instead of seeing her abrupt departure as an act of cowardice on her part, Derek viewed it as his chance to have a vacation of his own…from Casey. This summer would be the very first time that Derek wouldn't have to see Casey every day since they met. That thought alone shocked Derek. Did they really have no break from each other during the last three years they were under the same roof?

"It's no big deal," he shrugged his shoulders as he gestured for Sam to keep the beach ball moving. "She's on vacation." He watched as Sam and Ralph continued to pass the beach ball to one another. Normally they would try to out-maneuver each other but that died down once Sam brought up Casey.

"Then why did she pack up her room?" Sam asked with a frown; he was informed of this when Derek told him that Casey had left town for her trip. He still couldn't believe that Derek was being so nonchalant about Casey's departure; if Sam were in Derek's position, he'd be a little worried about Casey's lack of communication with everyone in London.

"So that Dad and Nora could have the room while she was away. She's always doing considerate stuff like that." Derek pointed out with ease yet he didn't mention that it was the paraphrased answer that Nora had given him when he had asked her a few days after learning of Casey's absence. Deep down, he didn't really believe that excuse but he refused to acknowledge it.

Sam thought it over for a moment yet it wasn't enough of an answer for him. "Then why not return our calls?"

"Because she's too busy being a keener on her trip," Derek huffed; he really didn't like all these questions that Sam was asking him. "She's probably visiting all the museums she comes across and being the best tourist she could be." He scoffed at the thought yet he ignored the tiny pang in his chest as the thought of Casey behaving like a complete tourist formed in his head. It was such a _Casey_ thing for her to do. Or did the last few days before she left change that?

"She's not that bad." Ralph defended as he remembered the weekend he had hung out with Casey. He thought Derek would agree after their fun together at the graduation party. Or at least, that's what Sam told him since Ralph was with his girlfriend for most of that party.

Derek rolled his eyes. "You've never vacationed with her."

Ralph as about to argue that he wouldn't have minded vacationing with Casey yet Sam had other ideas.

"I don't think your family trip to Niagara Falls counts as a vacation Derek." Sam commented with a shake of his head.

Derek huffed, "Well that's all I could handle."

The boys snickered for a moment before the beach ball ended up on the far side of the deep end. Derek went to retrieve it yet when he returned to the shallow end, he noticed the shared looks between Sam and Ralph.

"What?"

Sam and Ralph looked between each other again, as if they were wondering which one of them was going to answer. It seemed like a long moment before one of them decided to speak.

"Aren't you worried about her?" Ralph sheepishly questioned while Sam watched Derek closely.

Derek's nose scrunched up a bit as he tried to come up with a suitable answer. For the last three weeks he's been trying to convince himself that Casey was just on a summer vacation and that she'd return at the end of August and annoy him like she did before she left. And as every day passed, he felt more convinced than ever that she was just on a vacation (just like he would have been on if he went on that backpack trip through Europe that he planned before he was accepted into Queens). But with all these questions, a seed of doubt was starting to form.

"Why would I be worried?" Derek finally asked with a shrug while inside he hoped that his friends didn't see his resolve crack just a bit.

_Do I need to worry? _

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

It was hours later when Casey couldn't help the giggles that escaped her as the Singer's Salvage Yard came into view. The lot was just as messy and cramped as she remembered with all the old junkers piled up or torn apart and placed in random places on the property. A part of her thought that Bobby might have cleaned up the yard just a bit over the years yet it looked like the salvage owner had added more clutter to it instead. For some reason, the place had character and she just loved it. Casey didn't care for the metallic scraps that littered the lawn, Bobby's place was the only home she truly knew while growing up. When Dean was too young to watch over her and Sam over long periods of time, Bobby's place was where they stayed. It was the one place she knew that she was welcomed despite all the traveling that she was involved in.

The youngest Winchester removed her earphones and placed them into her jacket pocket before she got out of the Impala. She quickly moved to join her brothers as they were retrieving their duffel bags from the trunk.

"Is it as you remembered?" Sam questioned as he handed Casey her bag.

Casey turned in her spot, taking in the yard once more. She could still spot her old hiding places when she would play hide-and-seek, the old clearings where Dean would park the Impala and tinker with it and then there was the old tree by the house that held an old tire swing that she used to play with. In a way, it was like nothing changed.

She giggled a bit before she turned to Sam. "Either he added more to the place or everything just seemed bigger the last time I was here."

Sam smirked yet he didn't answer.

Dean rolled his eyes at his siblings, "Both, now come on." He headed straight for the house, this only signaled the other two to follow him.

Sam pounded on the door since his long legs allowed him to arrive there first. Dean joined his brother a few seconds afterwards.

"Is it wise for us to meet Dad here?" Casey questioned once she joined her brothers on the porch. "I mean, if I remember correctly, the last time Dad and Bobby were in the same room together, it wasn't pretty." There was a worried look on her face as she looked between her brothers.

Dean snorted. "Oh yeah," he turned to look at Sam, "didn't Bobby threaten to blast Dad full of buckshot?"

Before Sam could confirm or deny the statement, the front door opened to reveal an older man in clothes and an old trucker's hat that have seen better days.

"Well, what can I say?" Bobby greeted with a shrug as he looked between the Winchesters, "Your daddy just has that effect on people."

The Winchesters responded with a laugh since they couldn't refute Bobby's reasoning when it came to John Winchester.

"It's good to see you again Bobby." Sam greeted with a smile at the older hunter.

"You too kiddo," Bobby moved to pat Sam on the shoulder before he gave Dean a nod, "but I'm more interested in the valedictorian that has finally graced me with her presence." The older hunter teased when his eyes landed on the youngest Winchester in question as he ignored the mock-offended looks of the brothers. Bobby had this expression on his face that reminded Casey of Devon.

Casey giggled, "Hi Bobby."

"Oh I know you can do a better greeting than that." Bobby quipped as he gave Casey an expectant look.

Casey gasped; not only were those words familiar to her but the look she was getting suggested that he knew exactly _who_ had said those words to her before. "He told you?" She couldn't believe it.

Bobby chuckled, "Among other things." Sam and Dean just gave each other confused looks since they couldn't quite figure out what exactly was being discussed.

Casey shook her head as she moved to give Bobby a hug, "Oh he's in trouble." She finished with a kiss to Bobby's cheek.

Bobby nodded in agreement, "As he should be." He pulled Casey back with him as he allowed the boys entry into his house. Sam and Dean ventured further into the house but they were still able to hear Bobby's questions to Casey, "So how was the drive? I bet you didn't miss those long ass hours you had to spend on the road."

Sam and Dean gave each other amused looks before they dropped their duffel bags by the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. After a long trip, they were both famished. Luckily for the boys, Bobby was cooking up some of his spicy chili and he had made enough for everyone.

Just when Sam and Dean were about to scoop some chili out for themselves, Bobby's booming voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Don't eat it all you idjits! I didn't just make it for the two of you."

Casey's laugh soon followed Bobby's firm warning which caused the brothers to smile at each other; it was great to hear their sister laugh again. They were starting to worry about her.

*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*CW*DV*

After an hour of catching up with Bobby as they all had their fill of chili, Casey found herself upstairs in the spare bedroom with her laptop pulled in and running a video chat with Devon.

"So you finally made it." Devon stated with a chuckle, "I was starting to worry."

Casey rolled her eyes. "I called you after we wrapped up that case in Waterloo." After her cryptic text to Devon, he had texted her nonstop until she responded to him. Only then did he remind her of her promise to stay in touch with him. It took some convincing but video chatting between the two of them after every case was something that satisfied both Casey and Devon (him more so than her).

Devon ruffled a hand through his hair as he let loose a weak chuckle. "I know. How are the injuries?" He noticed some discoloring near her jaw during their previous video chat yet the discoloring wasn't noticeable anymore (he didn't know whether that was due to her healing or the fact that she covered it with makeup).

Casey blinked as she thought about her injuries. Her muscles still hurt from the hits that she endured on their case but they healed well enough that there was no discoloring (something she was grateful for yet suspicious about). Sam and Dean weren't even aware of a few of her injuries; she wasn't going to tell them since she didn't want them to think that she couldn't handle the job. They were a few hiccups during the drive where she thought they had suspected something but they never said anything about it, which is what she was grateful for.

"Minimal and they are healing fine." She finally declared with a shrug.

Devon exhaled deeply; he hadn't realized that he was holding his breath during her brief pause. "That's good," he hadn't noticed her favoring a particular side of hers so he went along with her statement, "Riding in the car for a long ass time must not have been enjoyable." He commented before he stopped himself from rambling on.

Casey giggled at Devon's choice of words.

He noticed this. "What?" He gave her a quizzical look; he knew that his statement wasn't funny.

Casey waved his worries away. "Nothing, it's just that Bobby said something similar when I arrived."

"Well what can I say? Great minds think alike." Devon quipped with a smug look on his face.

Casey shrugged (she neither confirmed nor denied the statement), yet she still had this certain glint in her eyes.

Devon smirked when she continued with her silence on the issue…so he decided to move things along. "So how is my uncle?" Even though Bobby is Devon's mom's uncle (technically his great-uncle), he had gotten used to just referring to the hunter as his uncle. There was no need to complicate his already diminished family tree.

She smiled at the thought of the older hunter, "He's just like I remembered." She shook her head before she gave him an accusatory look, "I also can't believe you told him about us."

Devon's eyes widened before he quickly waved his hands in front of him, as if he was telling her to _hang on a moment. _"Before you go accusing me of anything, let me just say that I didn't tell him everything."

Her eyebrow was raised as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You told him enough."

"And can you blame me? He can be very intimidating when he wants to be, even over the phone." He countered firmly before an involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he thought of that one phone call. Even from afar, Bobby was an intimidating person.

Casey's resolve cracked when a giggle was released from her. "No argument there."

Devon joined in with a short laugh of his own. "Where is he now?" He hadn't heard any other noises in Casey's room through their video connection.

She looked to the closed door before she turned back to her laptop's screen. "He's getting the full debrief on our Waterloo case from Sam and Dean." Normally she would have joined in on the debriefing but she wanted to get in touch with Devon before it was too late for her to call him.

Devon nodded as he rubbed that back of his neck, "And your dad?" He gave her a sheepish look, "Is he there yet?"

Casey shook her head. She wasn't sure when exactly her father was supposed to show up at Bobby's place.

"Are you nervous?" He couldn't help but ask. He knew how much John Winchester meant to Casey and since this would be the first time in four years that she'd be able to see her father again…well as her best friend, Devon only thought it would be right to ease her mind in any way he could.

"Why would I be nervous? He's my dad." Casey quipped nonchalantly yet Devon could hear the slight change in her voice near the end. He fixed her with an expectant look, one she knew very well. It always made an appearance whenever he knew she was hiding something and he wanted her to fess up. The stubborn part of her wanted to refuse yet she knew that he would out-stubborn her until she told him.

It has been a long day as it is for the hunter so she gave in quicker than she usually would.

"I think I'm more nervous about Dad and Bobby being in the same room again." She confessed with a sigh, although that wasn't the whole reason why she was nervous to see her dad again. It was a start though.

Devon knew there was more, yet he didn't push her. "I think for you they'll behave."

Before Casey could respond, a roaring engine traveling down the drive could be heard before she saw the lights flicker in the window. She quickly checked the window and saw a black GMC Sierra Grande truck pull up to Bobby's house. It was too dark to see the driver from her spot but she knew who was driving that truck.

Casey returned to her bed where she had left her laptop. "I guess I'm about to find out."

"I guess that's my cue to leave." Devon teased before he gave her an encouraging smile, "Good luck."

She smiled back at him. "I'll talk to you later." She reassured him before they said their goodbyes and disconnected the video chat. She powered down her laptop and placed it on the nightstand before she headed downstairs.

She ended up getting to the door before Sam.

She yanked it open to reveal an older man with a scruffier look than she remembered (as well as a few grey hairs on his head and in his beard that weren't as noticeable the last time she saw him). He held two duffel bags in his hands while wearing a similar outfit that Sam and Dean have grown accustomed to wearing themselves. There was a moment after revealing herself to him that she noticed this confused look in his eyes before they turned to one of surprised recognition which was quickly followed by a soft smile.

He slowly placed his bags down while his eyes stayed on her. "Hi Honey." He greeted as he returned to his full height again.

Casey smiled before she launched herself into his arms, "Hi Daddy." She mumbled into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, completing the hug between them.

"It's been too long kiddo." John Winchester mumbled into her hair before he pulled back from her, his hands now gripping her shoulders as he looked her over.

She was wearing one of her altered rock band t-shirts with a pair of black yoga pants. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail yet it was her hazel-green eyes that got to John, the same eyes that she shared with Dean and their late mother Mary. He got a little choked up with that thought.

"And you've grown up so much." He confessed softly which only had her smile widen.

"I've missed you Dad, there's so much I want to tell you." She gushed as she still registered the fact that her father was actually standing before her.

A chuckle from behind Casey caught the attention of the father/daughter duo. "I think you can tell him everything while he eats Case. Dad's had a long drive." Sam offered with clear amusement in his eyes.

John chuckled as he looked towards his second son, "Hey Sammy. Where's Dean?"

Sam pointed towards the back entrance, "Probably finishing off another bowl of chili." He announced a little loudly.

"I heard that!" Dean shouted from the kitchen, although it sounded a bit muffled. Sam snickered as Casey giggled before Dean shouted towards them again, "Hey Dad!"

John shook his head for his oldest son's greeting before he took a step back and grabbed his duffel bags again, "Lead the way."

Sam quickly took John's bags and headed for the living room while Casey chatted away with John as she led him to the kitchen to join Dean and Bobby. There was a lot that they needed to catch up on.

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**A/N #3: **And there you have it! The Winchesters are back under the same roof while Derek is secretly in denial about Casey's departure. Sorry if its a little rusty but what did you think? Where will the characters go next? **I hope to hear your thoughts and predictions in a review!**

**A/N #4:** Once again, I just wanted to apologize for the slow updates but I'm still stuck in summer school but I'm working through my slight writer's block. I hope you stick around to see what happens next for this story (and for my other stories too)! Also, don't forget to check out some Comic Con information about the upcoming season for Supernatural (the panel is set for Sunday, July 21, 2013). **Have a great weekend everyone!**

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**Originally Published: **July 19, 2013


	26. Ch 25: Summer with the Winchesters

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 25: ****Summer with the Winchesters**

**A/N #1: **I can't believe my summer is practically over and I barely updated! _*sigh*_ I'm ashamed and I deeply apologize. This chapter had been written for a few weeks now and I was debating on whether I needed to add more to it or not. I decided not to. So I hope you enjoy it!

**A/N #2:** Thank you so much for everyone who is still reading this slowly-updated story. It truly means the world to me so thank you so much for your support!

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **350****th**** Reviewer **goes to **A Smiling Cat.**

**Review Reply for **_**Airri (Guest from 7/31/13)**_**: **For your question about Edwin, in my head he hasn't just accepted the excuse about Casey from George and Nora. Edwin would have pestered Lizzie for some answers to the point that she 'threatened' to show him her latest karate moves if he didn't stop. This would have stopped his questions but he would have been nosier. Since Casey didn't leave anything incriminating behind, he has only his 'research' notes to go back on plus there is Derek's reaction to Casey's departure that Edwin is discreetly focusing on. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for the review!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **none

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): "**It's A Terrible Life", "Sin City" and "Route 666"

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **"Fright Night"

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**LAST TIME:**

"And you've grown up so much." He confessed softly which only had her smile widen.

"I've missed you Dad, there's so much I want to tell you." She gushed as she still registered the fact that her father was actually standing before her.

A chuckle from behind Casey caught the attention of the father/daughter duo. "I think you can tell him everything while he eats Case. Dad's had a long drive." Sam offered with clear amusement in his eyes.

John chuckled as he looked towards his second son, "Hey Sammy. Where's Dean?"

Sam pointed towards the back entrance, "Probably finishing off another bowl of chili." He announced a little loudly.

"I heard that!" Dean shouted from the kitchen, although it sounded a bit muffled. Sam snickered as Casey giggled before Dean shouted towards them again, "Hey Dad!"

John shook his head for his oldest son's greeting before he took a step back and grabbed his duffel bags again, "Lead the way."

Sam quickly took John's bags and headed for the living room while Casey chatted away with John as she led him to the kitchen to join Dean and Bobby. There was a lot that they needed to catch up on.

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_[July 2004]_

And catch up they did.

For that first week (when all the Winchesters were taking a temporary residence under Bobby's roof), every topic was touched upon and it was all in the sense of 'catching up'.

Casey learned about how the hunting scene has been going for the last four years (in greater detail) while getting emphasis on the more recent cases that the men had handled.

The men (mainly John and Bobby) learned about Casey's graduation and how her life in Toronto and London had been in general, with a few quirky anecdotes (like her false-alarm case when Edwin told her the house was haunted) that she just had to share. A few of it was repetitive for Sam and Dean but they didn't mind, they were just pleased to see Casey's excitement present when she shared what she had done. They did notice a few moments of hesitation in her tales…those usually involved Derek.

During Casey's retelling, John found himself enthralled with all that his daughter was able to experience and accomplish over the last few years. Although it pained him that she had to be away from him and her brothers, he was grateful that she was able to experience a semblance of a normal life (something he wasn't able to give to his sons). It did have him questioning himself at times as to why Casey would be willing to give all that up to join them again. If she loved it so much, why leave?

While the men were a little unnerved when Casey brought up the topic of boys, it was quickly pushed to the side when they learned that she kept up with her training as best she could by masquerading it as something else. This led to John wanting a demonstration. For the last few days, Casey has been doing some of her old drills and some of her exercise routines that she had started in Toronto (which were carried on in London). Suffice to say that John was impressed and proud of his daughter and her discipline to keep the physical regime going, especially when she didn't have hunting as an outlet for all that energy.

Casey was currently showing off her marksmanship at the makeshift shooting range on Bobby's property when John brought up a possible next step for them.

"I think it's about time that I take you on that long overdue solo hunt." John announced as he watched his daughter line up her next shot. So far she's managed to hit all the targets he's pointed out to her which he wasn't expecting. He thought her time away would lead her to being a little rusty; turned out that he was wrong.

Casey paused and turned to face her father. "What?"

John crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I took your brothers on their solo hunts after they turned sixteen and since you were with Nora…" he shrugged as he looked out to where the other targets stood in the distance, "well, if you're serious about hunting again then I think a solo hunt is a way to truly prove it."

Casey blinked as she tried to process what John was proposing to her. She remembered when Sam and Dean went on their solo hunts with John after they turned sixteen. She usually spent that time with Bobby but she remembered how her brothers would tell her how they had full reign of the case, meaning research and attack strategies were all under their control while John would sit back and provide backup if need be. The only time John truly took over was during the interviews (since who would take a teenager's questions seriously if they led the interview) or if a situation turned deadly (which was rare since John picked the solo hunts for them to ensure that that didn't happen).

What Casey was having a hard time processing was the fact that she's already been on hunts so she didn't get why she needed to go on a solo hunt. Didn't she prove herself worthy already?

"But I'm nineteen Dad," she reminded him, "I know how to handle myself on a case." She checked over her gun one more time before she fired off another shot.

John nodded, agreeing to not only her argument but to the fact that she had hit her target once again. "True but so could your brothers when it was time for their solo hunts."

Casey shifted her weight between her feet as she fought off the urge she had to argue with her father.

And he noticed that she was fighting with herself, which caused him to chuckle. "Just humor me Honey."

She didn't want to. She loved group hunts as they were but if handling a solo hunt gave her more freedom in the field when her father was concerned…then why not? There was no harm in doing more of the work. Then again, it would be nice to run the show for once (something she was never able to fully do before because her brothers would hold the '_I'm older so we're doing it my way_' argument against her).

Casey sighed. "Fine, what did you have in mind?"

"There's a case a few hours from here in Iowa that I thought would be enough for a solo hunt." John explained as he extended his hand out towards the direction of the targets, signaling to her to continue with her shooting.

Casey's brow furrowed, "Iowa?"

John nodded. "I have the location inside." He motioned for her to take the next shot. Once she did, hitting her target once again, he continued, "I'll tag along to make your cover more convincing if need be but like your brothers, you'd have to do all the work as if I'm not there. I'll just be the backup."

Casey eyed her father carefully, "So basically I lead the hunt?" She wasn't sure if he'd actually let her lead since she was not only the youngest but also his only daughter. Hunting can sometimes have a sexist quality to it.

"Yes." He confirmed as he watched her fire off three more shots before she checked the magazine clip. "This is a way for me to see for myself that you can handle yourself when you're truly out there doing the job." _When it truly matters_, was left unsaid.**  
**

She nodded as she slid the clip back into place before she fired off her last shot; the momentum caused the last pop-can to propel off the post it was positioned on. Casey smirked; it looked like her time spent in archery club paid off.

She quickly turned to face her pleased father. "When do we leave?"

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Casey was up in her room repacking for her solo hunt when Sam and Dean got the news from John.

"You're taking her to Iowa." Dean stated from his seat at the kitchen table as he stared at his father. Sam was sitting beside Dean while John sat across from them. Bobby was busy cooking up some grilled cheese sandwiches yet he was still listening in to the Winchesters.

"There is a simple salt-and-burn case there that she could work on by herself." John explained as he looked between his two sons.

Sam's brow furrowed out of confusion. "Why does she even need to go on a solo hunt? She's capable already. She proved that in Waterloo." He understood why they each had to participate in a solo hunt when they were sixteen but Casey was different, not only was she three years older than when she was supposed to go on the solo hunt, she was also very capable in the field, which she proved ever since they reunited with her on her graduation day. Why did she need to be tested now? Even the last week of drills and tests that John had Casey do were too excessive in Sam's opinion. Casey was more than capable of doing the job alone.

"You're taking her to Iowa." Dean repeated as he blinked yet his eyes weren't focused on anything in particular.

John nodded for both his sons' remarks yet he decided to answer Sam's questions. "She had you and Dean there. I need to know that she could handle a case on her own. I did it to you boys. It's now her turn." He also didn't want to say that he was taking this solo hunt as his chance to catch up with his daughter, something Sam and Dean had three weeks to do. This solo hunt was a chance to spend some one-on-one time with his child and since Casey had been away for four years, that bonding time was now long overdue.

"You're taking her to Iowa!" Dean repeated more firmly which resulted in a clank from the stove when Bobby whacked the steel spatula against the frying pan. The sound grabbed everyone's attention.

"Boy, stop acting like a broken record. We heard you the first time." Bobby protested as he glared at Dean.

Dean blinked again before he looked to Bobby then to John, "We just got her back and yet you want to split us up again." He argued; he still couldn't believe what he was hearing. After four years of being away from his little sister, he gets her back only to have her taken away again. How was that fair? It may seem a bit drastic but for Dean, his family was his everything. He didn't know what he'd do without them, either of them.

John sighed, "You boys will be a couple towns over working your own case. Both cases shouldn't take long."

When Dean made no move to agree with John's proposal, Sam intervened and nudged his brother to gain his attention. Dean turned his head with a questioning look on his face.

"She deserves this chance to prove herself Dean," Sam started in hopes of swaying Dean, "She can do this."

Sam didn't want Casey to leave them so soon after returning yet he understood why a solo hunt would be good for her to experience. He knew that he and Dean could get pretty bossy on hunts so Casey never really had a chance before to call the shots. This solo hunt would be a great thing for her and before they know it, the three of them will be hunting again. They won't be separated for long.

Heavy steps were heard above them before they heard the loud creaking that came from the stairs. A loud thump was then heard before a shout. "I'm ready!" Casey announced before they heard more creaking on the stairs; she was going back up for something.

Dean groaned after hearing her excitement, running his hand through his hair, before he looked to his father. "What's our case?"

While Sam and Dean were getting the basic details about their case from John, Casey was retrieving a package that she had left in her room. Bobby had helped her with it and she planned to mail it before they truly hit the road to Iowa. She just hoped that the package got to its destination on time.

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_[Fri. July 30, 2004] _

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Lizzie, happy birthday to you!" Everyone in the McDonald-Venturi family sang before the newly turned fourteen year old blew out the candles to her birthday cake. They just finished having a family dinner after they had spent a few hours rounding up everything they needed for Lizzie's party the next day. They'd been at it since George and Nora got home from work.

Marti was jumping in her seat (causing her brothers to laugh at the sight) as she waited for Nora to pass her a slice of birthday cake. Instead of taking the first slice, Lizzie passed it to the bouncing girl beside her. She continued to pass out the slices her mother passed to her until everyone had a slice. Only then did Lizzie accept a slice for herself.

Everyone was quiet as they ate their slice of dessert yet Marti broke the silence when she finished first.

"Present time!" Marti gleefully exclaimed as she bounced in her seat; it seemed like she had too much energy in her tiny body.

Everyone laughed.

"Marti, let Lizzie have a chance to finish her cake." George reasoned with his youngest yet it seemed like she didn't like the answer.

"Can I get the presents then?" Marti pleaded as she looked between George and Nora.

"I'll get them Marti." Edwin offered; he knew his sister meant well yet he wouldn't trust her hyper-self to carry potentially delicate presents.

Derek smacked his brother on the shoulder just before he got up. "You do that Ed." Derek quipped before he made a move to have another slice of cake. No one made a move to stop him.

By the time Edwin had moved all the gifts to Lizzie's side, she was finished her cake and ready to open them. She managed to get a new mp3 player from her mom and George to replace the one she broke a few weeks ago as well as her favorite soccer player's jersey from her step-siblings. She was surprised to find that her dad had mailed her three tickets and passes for a soccer tournament that was taking place in just a few weeks in Toronto. She loved every one of her gifts but when Nora got up to retrieve something from her purse, Lizzie was surprised to see that it was another gift for her.

"Mom, the mp3 player is enough. You didn't have to get me anything else." Lizzie exclaimed as Nora took her seat.

Nora smiled while her hand was outstretched to Lizzie. "I know that dear but this actually came for you in the mail."

Lizzie blinked as she took the small package from her mom. It was wrapped in the typical brown wrapping that postal parcels were wrapped in. Her name and address were scrawled in the middle yet it was the return address that stumped Lizzie. It came from New York…from her dad.

Her brow furrowed as she looked up to her mom. "Why would Dad send another gift?"

Nora shrugged yet she motioned for Lizzie to open the package.

Everyone waited with bated breath as Lizzie carefully tore the brown wrapping off, only to reveal birthday wrapping underneath it.

Getting impatient, Marti got up from her seat and moved to stand behind Lizzie so that she could watch over Lizzie's shoulder as she opened her present. When Lizzie finally opened the lid to her gift, both girls gasped yet Marti didn't remain speechless for long.

"It's Casey!"

Derek's head snapped up (he was focused more on his second slice of cake than on Lizzie's slow unwrapping) as he stared at his sister with a disbelieving look on his face. "What?" It was the last thing he was expecting Marti to say. Was Casey at Dennis' place in New York?

All Marti did was point to Lizzie's gift.

Lizzie, on the other hand, was too busy looking inside the box. There was a photo of a smiling Casey holding up a 'Happy Birthday Lizzie' sign as she wore a birthday hat on her head. But that wasn't the only thing that had Lizzie speechless. Also wearing party hats and with party horns in their hands were Sam and Dean with smiles on their faces. They looked about ready to blow a party horn at Casey's face. Lizzie just wanted to laugh at the thought. Her three cousins were just hilarious together but the presence of the fourth member in the photo was surprising. Standing on Casey's other side, with a crooked party hat on his head was John Winchester and he had his own smile on his face, as if he was happy to see his kids goofing off before a photo was to be taken. It definitely looked like they were having fun in the photo, like they were celebrating Lizzie's birthday with her even though they couldn't be there in person. It warmed Lizzie's heart.

Lizzie picked up the photo and turned it around. The words '_we wish we could be there_' were written above '_July 2004_'. The birthday girl smiled as she recognized the handwriting as Casey's. Come to think of it, the parcel's addresses were done in the same handwriting too. Lizzie's attention soon turned to the white paper inside the box. She passed the photo to her mom before she picked up the little note.

_**When we were younger, I remember how you used to always play with Dean's necklace whenever you weren't playing soccer with Sam. It may not be like Dean's but it's from the same collection. I hope you like it and always wear it. **_

_**Happy birthday Liz!**_

_**~Casey and the boys**_

Lizzie laughed at the memory as she moved the note aside. It was then that she saw a small golden pendent with a leather-like chain that was nestled in the middle of the tissue paper bundle. It was similar to Dean's necklace, yet instead of the bull-head, the golden pendent was of a miniature totem pole. Lizzie quickly picked up the necklace and put it on.

Unknown to Lizzie and the rest of the blended family, Casey had the birthday gift planned for a while and it was only when she got to Bobby's place that she was able to ask the older hunter if he was able to find the pendent since he was the one that found Dean's pendent for them back in 1991. Once Bobby had retrieved the pendent that Casey asked for, Casey had gotten her father and brothers to help her with the photo for Lizzie (she used the argument that since they couldn't be there in person, Lizzie deserved to know that they were still thinking about her special day).

Lizzie was so absorbed in her gift that Lizzie didn't notice the looks the Venturi brothers were sending one another while George had gotten up to look at the photo over Nora's shoulder.

"She sent you a gift?" Derek questioned, bringing all the attention to him, "We've heard nothing from her for basically a month and all of a sudden she sends a gift...from New York." He didn't get why he was angry by the idea of Casey sending a gift to the house now when they've heard nothing from her all month. He thought her absence wouldn't bug him but apparently, he was hiding more than he thought from himself.

"That's enough Derek." George scolded his eldest son as he discreetly watched Lizzie for her reaction. What none of the kids knew was that Casey called Nora's cell phone once a week (usually this was after her post-hunt video chat with Devon but Nora didn't know that).

Derek rolled his eyes. "All I'm saying is that if I pulled a stunt like that, I'd be punished for it."

Lizzie looked to Edwin before quirking her eyebrow at him. He shook his head as a response; he didn't know what was going on with Derek.

Marti quickly made her way to her brother's side. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she gave him a huge side hug. His arm snaked around her tiny body to return the hug. She then nuzzled her face into his neck and mumbled something to him. He tilted his head down, he knew she said something but he couldn't hear her. Somehow sensing her brother's curiosity, she tightened her hug as she moved so that she could whisper to him.

"It's okay to miss her Smerek but she'll come back, you'll see. She'll come back." Marti softly told her oldest brother with so much confidence that his body stiffened by her words. He didn't miss Casey, there was just no way…right?

Marti pulled back and gave Derek a toothy grin at him before she asked for more cake.

Everyone laughed for Marti's need for more sweets but Derek was grateful for his sister's ability to shift people's focus like she does. He definitely needed it since he didn't know what to make of Marti's words. He was just glad that no one else seemed to have heard her.

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_[Mon. Aug. 2, 2004]_

The vengeful spirit flamed out in front of Casey and John's eyes just as Casey lit the spirit's former bones on fire with some salt added in. John had been the decoy, granting Casey enough time to salt the bones and burn the spirit to a crisp.

John exhaled deeply as he looked around the empty cemetery. "It looks like you've completed your solo hunt Honey. How does it feel?"

Casey panted as she tried to hide the fact that the spirit had irritated one of her healed Waterloo wounds. "It feels good but Casper was a bitch."

John laughed. "You've spent too much time with Dean." He stated as he moved to grab one of the shovels to help Casey refill the grave again. He tried to hide the fact that he was favoring his left side a bit; the ghost had thrown him around a few times moments ago.

She shrugged as she grabbed her shovel again. "I don't mind."

They let the fire burn out for a bit before they started to fill up the grave again. They finished the job as quickly as possible before they made their way to John's truck. They went back to their motel room, packed their things up and left town.

Casey was still trying to calm down from her adrenaline rush when John broke the silence between them.

"So, are you still sure you want to do this?" He questioned yet his attention was solely on the dark road ahead of him, his headlights providing the only source of light in the area.

She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, "I'm not backing out Dad."

John chuckled; he was just double checking. "Alright, are you up for another hunt then?"

Her jaw dropped. _Was he serious? _"Now?"

John nodded. "Your brothers called this morning with news that they finished their hunt last night so I sent them to the next one." He quickly turned to look at her (she looked stunned), before he turned his eyes back onto the road. "We're meeting up with them for that one."

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she managed to get out what she wanted to ask, "You already found another hunt?" When she thought about it more, the fact that her father had found another job while currently on a job didn't surprise her. She had done all the work on the job so it only made sense that he'd look for something while he bid his time for her to call on him when she needed his input.

He chuckled; he found the surprise in her voice to be amusing for him. "I had to keep myself busy while you worked on this one." He quipped before he sobered his attitude up, what he was about to say wasn't a joking matter, "Lately there have been a string of deaths connected to a building in Ohio. It sounded like our kind of thing."

She nodded along yet she didn't get why they were going if her brothers were already heading there. "So do you think it's more complex than a two-man job?" It was the only explanation she could think of.

John shrugged, "It weren't hurt to have us there too. I have a feeling that it'll be a bit harder to get on site if your brothers were the only ones there." It wasn't that he thought his sons couldn't handle it. It was the fact that those boys could only pose as so many things without drawing suspicion towards them. And John had a feeling that their covers for this case would have to be more creative than what they're use to.

Casey sighed as she rummaged for her sweater in the back seat. Once she found it, she unzipped it and spread it over her legs since the truck's AC was on yet she was still hot from the grave digging she had to do. "Alright, so what's the company that owns the building? I might be able to think of a cover while we drive." She asked after she settled into her seat a little more.

"Sandover Bridge & Iron Inc."

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It took the Winchester family under a week to finish the case at Sandover Bridge & Iron Inc. It turned out that the spirit of P.T. Sandover (founder of the company) was influencing his employees to work themselves into the ground and if failure was ever brought up, the employees had been coerced into taking their own lives as punishment for failing the company.

In order to get into the building, John and Sam had posed as members from an insurance company that were there for the company's routine reports while Dean took a temporary security guard position as Casey worked in the mailroom as a temp-worker. Once they figured out that it was Sandover's spirit that was behind the _suicides_, they raced to find something that had Sandover's remains in it (since Sandover was originally cremated). It turned out that there was a pair of his gloves included in the company's commemorative display on the twenty-second floor. It was a bit touch-and-go once the spirit was on to them but Casey managed to burn the gloves before the spirit could do any real damage to their family.

After that case, they only had a few days of rest before two more cases caught their attention. Dean and John stayed in Ohio to deal with a succubus case in the city of Athens while Sam and Casey traveled to Kentucky for another haunting. The younger team didn't like the fact that they were assigned the easier of the two cases but they were pleased when John ordered Dean to give the Impala keys over to them. Dean was not happy about that.

While Casey and Sam had finished their hunt within a week, Dean and John took just over two weeks to find and kill the succubus they were after. During the extra time, Casey and Sam just waited for John and Dean to meet up with them a few towns over from where their haunting was.

However when the older team returned, the younger team could tell that there was something different just off the mannerisms their older brother was giving off. That all seemed to get pushed under the proverbial rug when Dean saw his baby again; his beloved Chevy Impala. Apparently the sight of his car had brightened his mood greatly.

Before any of the Winchesters knew it, September had arrived.

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**Used Hunts: **Alright so many SPN fans may have noticed that a few hunts from the show were mentioned in this chapter…here's where:

**1 = **The haunting at Sandover Bridge & Iron Inc. was from 4x17 ("It's A Terrible Life") yet the Winchesters had their memories for this version

**2 = **Succubus case in Athens, Ohio is actually two cases (referenced on the show yet it didn't have an actual episode focused on it) merged together

**2a** = 3x04 ("Sin City") mentioned the Succubus case (by Dean and Richie)

**2b** = 1x13 ("Route 666") mentioned a case taking place in Athens, Ohio for a few weeks (by Dean to Sam)

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**A/N #3: **And there you have it...how was that? It may have been a little fast-paced when compared to the earlier chapters but if I truly went into detail on the hunts, then I may never get the story going to where I truly want to write from. So what did you think? How were the Winchesters? How about the blended family in London? **Please let me know in a review!** Reviewers will get a little teaser into the next chapter!

This may be early but I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend that is quickly approaching!

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**Originally Published:** August 29, 2013


	27. Ch 26: School Prep Isn't The Same

"**Second Chances"**

**Chapter 26: ****Preparing For School Is Not The Same Anymore **

**A/N #1: **Hey everyone! Sorry it's been about a month since I last posted but I've just finished week 3 of my semester…and I'm getting bombarded with course material. How can professors expect us to read so much for one lecture (especially if I have that class three times a week)? Anyways, I luckily had half of this written before school started but I wanted to post this yesterday but by the time I finished writing it, it was getting too late for me to edit it. So I'm posting this now and it's in celebration for Enx2103, my dear friend, whose birthday was yesterday…so **happy one-day-belated birthday**!

**A/N #2: **Once again, I just want to quickly say **thank you so much for everyone** who is still interesting and reading this story. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart and it truly means the world to me!

**A/N #3:** I just want to apologize if I made any inconsistencies when it came to Derek's history. It's been awhile since I started this story and sometimes I could think that I added something when I really didn't (and vice versa) so I just want to apologize if I did that at all when it comes to Derek (if I have then please let me know…nicely…in a review). It's definitely easier to keep Casey's altered history straight (if that makes any sense).

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**Shout Out: **I remember saying that I would give a shout out to the **360****th**** Reviewer **goes to **my shangri-la**!

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**Disclaimer #1: **I don't own Life with Derek or Supernatural. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

**Disclaimer #2**: The following characters are mine:

_Toronto Hockey Buds:_ Devon McCloud, Tyler Jacobs, Alex Johnston, Carter Wilson

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**Full Summary**: Graduation is finally here and both Casey and Derek are thrilled. But will a visit from two strangers get Derek to realize what he has right in front of him before it's too late? Now what if these two strangers cause Casey to act differently than what Derek is use to? [Set during 'Futuritis'] Crossover with SPN (pre-series).

**Remember: **John Winchester is Nora McDonald-Venturi's older brother (Siblings: John, Nora & Fiona)

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**Reference to **_**Life With Derek **_**Episodes: **"Futuritis" (slightly)

**Reference to **_**Supernatural **_**Episodes (quotes or outfits): **"Sam, Interrupted"

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**Reference to "Second Chances: Outtakes": **none

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**LAST TIME:**

Somehow sensing her brother's curiosity, she tightened her hug as she moved so that she could whisper to him.

"It's okay to miss her Smerek but she'll come back, you'll see. She'll come back." Marti softly told her oldest brother with so much confidence that his body stiffened by her words. He didn't miss Casey, there was just no way…right?

Marti pulled back and gave Derek a toothy grin at him before she asked for more cake.

Everyone laughed for Marti's need for more sweets but Derek was grateful for his sister's ability to shift people's focus like she does. He definitely needed it since he didn't know what to make of Marti's words. He was just glad that no one else seemed to have heard her.

***SC***

While Casey and Sam had finished their hunt within a week, Dean and John took just over two weeks to find and kill the succubus they were after. During the extra time, Casey and Sam just waited for John and Dean to meet up with them a few towns over from where their haunting was. However when the older team returned, the younger team could tell that there was something different just off the mannerisms their older brother was giving off. That all seemed to get pushed under the proverbial rub when Dean saw his baby again; his beloved Chevy Impala. Apparently the sight of his car had brightened his mood greatly.

Before any of the Winchesters knew it, September had arrived.

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_[August 2004]_

While the last month has been filled with training and hunts for the Winchesters, it's been filled with hectic summer activities and hangouts (pretty much any activity that provided a distraction was welcomed) for the Venturi graduate, who spent his first month separated from the step-sister he had always wanted gone yet he denied missing now.

Marti's whispered comment to Derek after Lizzie had opened her birthday gift from Casey had shaken him up so much that he called it an early night under the guise that he was expecting a phone call from Sam. Instead of the call, Derek had spent the night staring at his cell as he fought with himself on whether he should call Casey or not. He knew there was more of a chance of him getting her voicemail than actually talking to her but did that even matter anymore? Did he miss her so much that listening to her voice on the pre-recorded voicemail greeting was enough for him?

He never made the call though. He wouldn't allow himself to simply accept the fact that he could miss his annoying stepsister, who's off having the summer of a lifetime with a no-parent-supervision vacation. But then he'd remember how she wasn't annoying during those last few times they hung out together, just the two of them, before she left. Thinking of those days led to him missing her because those times were _different_. There wasn't any fighting and yet they still teased each other like they used to…and yet it wasn't like how it was before.

Something had changed.

For him, he was having more thoughts about Casey where she wasn't his stepsister but he never acted on them (he hasn't pinpointed when it all started but he does know that it's been like that during the second half of their senior year). He hadn't acted on it until that last night he had seen her…a night where they ended up fighting and he ended it by kissing her. No matter how much he denied how that kiss affected him, his lips still tingled whenever the kiss crossed his mind.

He still didn't know if Casey had left the way she did because of that kiss. Would she still be home if he hadn't kissed her that night? If so, would they have kissed at a different point during the summer? Was the kiss inevitable for them? And what was she talking about during their fight? She commented on how he didn't know what she wanted and he remembered how he wanted to know what she truly wanted. He never did find out though. He kissed her which led to a steamy make-out session before the ringing of Casey's phone interrupted them. And that was it. And that infuriated Derek.

It wasn't just a kiss that he could simply forget and that was another reason why he was infuriated whenever he thought about it (or why he didn't want to be reminded of Casey). So many things brought him back to that moment and he just wasn't ready. It was causing him to reflect on things that should be left alone and buried.

It seemed like the only way he would get away from all the reminders was when his semester started at Queens, a school that had a student body that knew nothing about his complicated dynamic with Casey. Only Sam would know (and he knew when to not bring Casey up) since they agreed to be roommates in one of the campus dorms. For once in his life, Derek was wishing for school to start.

But then the idea of school would just jump-start the cycle again because school usually reminded him of Keener-Casey.

Was there no escaping her?

Apparently not, since most of Derek's free time in August revolved around Queens and preparing for the upcoming semester with Sam.

When it came time for him to pick his courses, Derek found himself remembering the midnight conversation he had with Casey in the kitchen about the topic.

_"You should really look into courses that __**interest**__ you Derek…the next four years is where you form the foundation of your future." Her voice had returned to a more serious tone with her attention shifting between her fellow graduate and the book in his hands._

_"And here I was wondering when the lecture would continue with you." He quipped back automatically before she got into the __**really**__ heavy future stuff once again._

_She rolled her eyes before they made contact with his once again. "Will it help you to know that girls are a lot more attracted to successful men than to those that amount to nothing?"_

_"That's where hockey comes in Case." He stated as if it were the most obvious idea in the world._

_"Accidents can happen though Der. You can't just stop at that…work for an academic program that could lead you somewhere if hockey doesn't pan out."_

_Derek closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before he let a sigh escape him. "Why are you so adamant about this?"_

_When he opened his eyes again, he came face to face with one of her softest expressions; an expression he's only seen directed at him during those rare occasions when they had __**moments**__ like these. "I won't always be here and it would ease my mind if you're actually taking your future seriously."_

_She withheld the reflex to giggle when she noticed Derek's eyes widening when she leaned closer to him; a total victory when she noticed that he wasn't pulling away from her. His eyes were completely focused on her with his attention shifting between her eyes and her lips._

_"You have great potential Derek…now's the time to __**embrace**__ it." She whispered to him in a way that sent shivers down his spine as he felt her cool breath flow over his face. _

He remembered how he mocked her for caring about him during that conversation but now he couldn't help but wonder if she was hinting at something. What was she really saying? He was more focused on that than the thought of whether they would have kissed in that moment or not.

Not wanting to get too into it, Derek ended up picking courses that interested him while having them help him work towards the cinema studies program and the kinesiology program (he'd wait to decide after his first year was complete). Without even realizing it, Derek had chosen a few choices that Casey had told him would be a great fit for him (while meeting his requirements).

When asked about his courses, he never told anyone that he followed Casey's advice. No one had any reason to suspect that she had given him any advice to begin with.

After submitting his course selection on August 1st, Derek found his summer just zooming by.

For the long weekend (to honor Civic holiday), he spent it in Toronto with Devon and the boys. They played some hockey, some video games and they went to the CNE once it opened up. There were a few hiccups when the guys asked Derek how Casey was or if he heard from her but other than that, he had a blast in Toronto. He did notice Devon looking at him in a way that suggested that he knew more than he was telling. Knew more about what, Derek didn't know yet he stored that away in his mind for him to worry about later.

When he was back in London, he was either working off his final shifts at the restaurant, hanging out with his friends, relaxing by the pool at home or he was talking roommate arrangements with Sam as the student move-in date was fast approaching. On occasion, Derek did make time to spend with his siblings…on occasion (he wasn't going to make it a daily thing though like _someone_ he didn't want to think about at the moment).

Before Derek knew it, it was less than a week before he was scheduled to leave for Queens.

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"For the last time Edwin, you're not having my room." Derek argued back for what felt like the millionth time that week.

Edwin was seated at Derek's desk while the older Venturi was packing up his clothes (Edwin was kind of surprised that he wasn't ordered to do the packing). Normally Derek would wait until the last minute but Sam threatened to drop in randomly just to see if he was packing; his argument was that he didn't want to be delayed the day they had to move because Derek had forgotten something. It also didn't help that if Sam thought Derek wasn't 'packed up enough by that point' then he'd do it himself instead of the fun activity the best friends originally planned. While Derek hated how his best friend's attitude resembled a certain keener's, he couldn't argue the point once Sam mentioned that it wasn't just them moving in but every freshman…it was going to be chaotic on campus.

Edwin huffed, "But Casey moved her stuff for Dad and Nora, so why can't I have your room?" his eyes widened after his slip; he noticed the immediate stiffness in Derek's body after Casey was mentioned.

Derek gritted his teeth as he tried to relax in hopes that Edwin hadn't noticed his reaction. "Because one, I'm not Casey and two, it's _my_ room."

"It's still not fair." Edwin grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. While annoyed, he was internally grateful that his brother hadn't blown up on him for his slip. It was hard not mentioning their absent stepsister; Edwin did miss her too but he'd probably play it off as nothing, especially when in Derek's presence.

Derek scoffed, "Well you know the saying Ed, life isn't fair."He continued to throw a bunch of his clothes onto his bed yet his movement seemed a bit more forced.

Edwin quirked an eyebrow at his brother as he continued to watch him throw down his clothes. He was behaving as if the pieces of fabric were diseased. The younger brother looked between his brother and the rumpled pile of clothes. "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't just talking about your room?"

Derek scoffed again yet he didn't stop his actions, "What makes you say that?"

Edwin shrugged, "Call it a hunch or something. I don't know." He eyed his brother carefully before he continued, "I do know you won't talk about what's bugging you." He cringed when he noticed that Derek had stopped, mid-throw.

"Then why ask?" The graduate tried to deflect.

Edwin shrugged again.

"Well nothing is wrong." Derek insisted before he threw the last piece of clothing he thought to pack. He then moved to his rumpled pile to attempt to make some logical packing sense out of it.

"You know you can tell me Derek." Edwin sighed as he moved to stand by Derek, "And I think now is the perfect time since no one else is home." He offered as he clapped a hand onto his brother's shoulder. Lizzie had gone to redeem her tournament tickets with Nora while George had taken Marti to a meet-and-greet at the mall for one of her kiddie shows.

Derek glared at Edwin before his eyes shifted to the unwanted hand on his shoulder. "Nice try Ed." He brushed the hand off his shoulder just as the doorbell was heard. "Now answer the door." He ordered as he went back to his sorting-attempt, while he was silently praying thanks for Sam's timing.

Edwin sighed yet he did what he was told. He knew there was no way that Derek would open up about his problem now.

And it turned out that Edwin was right since after arriving, Sam started helping Derek pack the appropriate things he'd need for Queens. They also had to make sure they could fit everything into their cars on their moving day.

Edwin was surprised that he wasn't called upon again so he went to his room to scour over the research notes he believed weren't wrong yet somehow, he believed that he had missed something. He kind of wished that one of his research subjects wasn't on her road trip; he needed some new data to compare with the latest Derek-intel he gathered.

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_[Wed. Sept. 8, 2004] _

In the Georgia state, it was just after midnight when Dean and Casey finished digging up their latest grave. They were currently working a double haunting which had Dean and Casey taking care of one body while John and Sam handled the second body that was located in a different cemetery. This was the next case after the Winchesters had reunited in Kentucky after their two weeks separation.

Although for the last few days, Dean had noticed that something was a little off with Casey. It was as if she wasn't all there. So he took the opportunity to investigate since it was just the two of them.

"Everything okay?" He asked once he noticed her hesitance in climbing out of the grave.

Casey frozen in her spot for a moment before she turned to give her brother a tired smile, "It's been a long day." She replied before she pulled herself out of the grave and headed for their bags.

Dean tossed his shovel to the side before he watched Casey rummage through their bags. She was looking for the crowbar he had asked her to retrieve for him.

After a few moments, Casey walked back to the pit with the crowbar and flashlight in hand.

"Are you sure? We've had longer days before and you didn't have any problems with it." Dean pointed out before he accepted the crowbar with a thankful nod.

Casey shrugged as she shone the flashlight down into the grave, "I'm still adjusting Dean."

"Case, it never takes you this long to adjust." Dean argued as he lowered himself down so that he could pry the coffin's cover open. After a few well-placed wedges, the corner popped loose. "You were easing into things long before we left Bobby's place." He continued as he ignored the creaking of the crowbar against the wood finishing.

"Can we talk about this later?" Casey proposed with one hand on her hip as the other shone the flashlight into Dean's eyes.

Dean looked away and mumbled a few words to himself as he focused on his current task. With a little more help from the crowbar, Dean managed to open the coffin only to be assaulted by the decaying odor. Dean couldn't help but cough as the smell hit him while Casey just wafted the air away from her.

"Ugh, that smell never gets old." Dean complained as he pulled himself out of the grave. Once he was on his feet again, Casey handed him the flashlight before she quickly jogged to bring their bags closer. After that, she looked for the salt canister and the lighter fluid that they needed.

She quickly returned to her brother's side before she handed the salt canister to him. He flipped the lid and drenched the open casket with salt before she followed him by pouring the lighter fluid on top of the salted bones. When they thought it was enough, Casey took the canister from Dean and took a step back while he took out the motel matchbook he swiped when they first booked the room. He didn't hesitate in taking out a few matches and lighting them before he threw them into the casket. A fire quickly emerged the moment the lit match made contact with the lighter fluid. The siblings stood in silence as they watched the flames consume the bones.

Fortunately for them, there was no lone wanderer in the cemetery that night so by the time the flames died down, they started refilling the grave as fast as they could without interruptions. Once the ground was leveled again, they high-tailed it out of there.

They reached the Impala in record time. They quickly dumped their bags into the trunk but the silence ended after Dean slammed down the trunk door.

"Now will you tell me what's bugging you?" He questioned as he made his way towards the driver's door.

Casey stopped after opening the passenger's door. "It's nothing." She replied before she got inside and slammed the door.

Dean rolled his eyes before he followed her lead. "Don't make me ask you again Casey." He started the engine and sped towards the cemetery's exit. "Let's just save the time and get to it because I'm beat." He declared with a sigh as his eyes focused on the dark road ahead of them.

She knew what he was talking about yet she didn't want to say anything. She knew that Dean wouldn't like where her head was at yet she knew that he wasn't going to let the subject be dropped. The fact that it was just the two of them at the moment should have been her first clue that he'd bring it up to her.

Seeing no other option, she decided to spill her thoughts. "I was just thinking."

When nothing else was said after a while, Dean rolled his eyes. "About?" **  
**

_Here goes nothing, _she thought as she looked out the window. "Derek would have finished day two of his orientation at Queens today."

Since September arrived (more specifically Labor Day), Casey's mind had drifted to thoughts of Derek. She didn't mean to at first but then she couldn't help but let her mind wander. She wondered how he was enjoying the campus, the new atmosphere, the new living arrangements and the new people. Her mind would then go to orientation and she then began to think about whether he's met anyone or whether he still had the reputation others had associated with him. She even wondered what his courses would be like even though he wouldn't have had a taste of them by this point; he would have just finished day two of his orientation week. But most of all, she wished she could experience it with him somehow. And it saddened her that she couldn't.

"That's it?" Dean blinked, he had a feeling that her distraction was Derek-related but c'mon, getting emotional about that? The hunter didn't think it should take up any of her time thinking about it.

Casey sighed. "I can't help it."

"Ugh, just call the guy then." Dean suggested with a groan. He didn't get what the big deal was.

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Then go back if you miss him so much." Dean really wanted to scream at her. She was doing so well during the summer and then now, it's like she had a Derek-relapse or something. _Unless the fact that she wasn't going back to school had just hit her now, _Dean's brow furrowed at the thought. Was that it?

There also was another reason for his response being so…intense, yet he didn't want to dwell on that. He wasn't ready to.

Casey opened and closed her mouth a few times, still reeling over what her brother just told her before she managed to form a coherent sentence. "What are you saying?" She made her choice yet she didn't get why Dean was implying otherwise.

He gritted his teeth. "I'm saying you need to make a choice before your daydreaming gets us killed."

Casey crossed her arms as she pouted. "It's not that simple."

He was starting to get agitated, "You did it with Devon, why is Derek any different?" Dean pointed out without missing a beat. He knew that she made her frequent webcam calls to Devon even though he was never in the room or conscious when she did them. He was more annoyed at the fact that she couldn't stick with a decision.

Then again, the older hunter could be blowing things out of proportion.

_What did he know anyway? _She thought bitterly as she stared out of the window. Dean didn't have to leave anyone he deemed close to him because they were all involved in the hunting life (so it was never really a final goodbye even though every meeting could be the last either one had with one another). He didn't have to leave people that he formed relationships with. He didn't have to sacrifice what Casey had to.

So what if she thought about Derek. Was that so wrong? They were just mere thoughts, speculations as to what he could be up to in this next stage of his life. It wasn't like she was balling her eyes out to the point that it was crippling her performance on hunts. She was still focused and as determined as ever to get the job done. Her mind just wandered from time to time…to Derek.

Before Dean's irritation got to a new level, his cell phone interrupted them. He hurriedly got to the device before taking the call.

"WHAT?" He didn't have enough patience at the moment to look at the caller ID. He saw Casey cringe out of the corner of his eye.

"_Whoa, what's up with you?_" Sam was startled by his brother's hostile greeting to him.

Dean groaned, he now felt like a dick, "Nothing. Are you done with your bag of bones?"

"_Yeah, I was just calling to see if you were done. Dad and I are heading back to the motel now._" Sam explained and Dean could hear a few sounds in that background; he assumed that their father was packing up the truck.

The older brother nodded, "Fine, we'll meet you there." He quickly ended the call and pocketed the phone while his attention remained on the road.

Casey watched as her brother remained quiet; he looked like he was cooling down a bit. She exhaled deeply a few times before she got the courage to break the silence.

"It won't happen again." Her voice was quiet but he heard her loud and clear.

He exhaled deeply, as if he was trying to reel his emotions in. "Not on hunts it won't."

She turned to face him, with a quizzical look on her face.

Dean cleared his throat before he quickly caught her eye in his gaze, "I know it's hard going cold turkey like that. Just don't daydream on the job."

She sighed yet she accepted the complete turn in attitude; they were both tired. She leaned her elbow against the door so that she could rest her head in her hands, "Easier said than done."

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_[Mon. Sept. 13, 2004] _

"C'mon man, time to get up," Sam demanded as he whacked Derek upside the head.

Derek grumbled into his pillow, "Leave me alone." He was not in the mood. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Sam rolled his eyes, "No way D." He whacked his best friend again before he started gathering the new essentials he needed for his first few classes; pen, paper, a mini binder and his laptop.

Derek groaned again before he slowly opened his eyes; his head was killing him. "Why aren't you tired? You were out partying like me."

"I paced myself since I knew we'd have to be up early." Sam quipped before laughing at his friend's expense. Sam was never one to drink more than he could handle like Derek had done on occasion.

The weekend was filled with nightly parties to celebrate the end of orientation week. It felt like the campus was giving the freshmen the last hoorah before classes officially began. Throughout the whole week, Sam and Derek had gotten to meet new people as they got to know their new atmosphere better. They've met potential classmates, potential dates and possible sports-buffs like themselves. For a week-long school event, it turned out to be quite interesting…yet tiring. Derek felt like he crammed a few months' worth of socializing into that one week.

"What are you talking about? I paced myself." Derek defended himself as best he could in his tired state. He needed an Advil to dull down this headache of his.

Sam laughed, "Whatever man, all I'm saying is that you wouldn't feel like crap if you slowed down." He was internally thankful that he hadn't partied as hard as Derek had over the weekend. It wasn't that Derek was out of control or anything, he was just a little more inebriated than he usually allowed himself to be. Then again, Sam had an idea as to why Derek had 'overdid it' but he knew that his friend wouldn't admit to it. He's been treading lightly on that particular subject for quite a while now.

The sleepy freshmen shook his head, despite the headache, "There is no slowing down when parties are involved Sammy." He exclaimed as if it were an unwritten rule before he pushed his face back into his pillow, "Now let me sleep in." He grumbled yet Sam got the gist of his words.

Sam rolled his eyes and threw his pillow at Derek. "Dude, we have class in twos hours."

Derek grabbed the new pillow and moved his head to the side yet his eyes were closed, "All the more reason for me to go back to sleep. It's too early."

"Alright fine, I'll just check out the athletic center and see if the hockey coach is in on my own." He grabbed his keys and hiked his backpack over his back. They had talked about seeing the hockey coach and making a first impression with him before tryouts started.

At the mention of hockey, Derek's eyes opened only to glare at his roommate seconds later, "You're starting to annoy me."

Sam smirked, "And I'm okay with that. Now get up. I'm going to grab something to eat." He placed the bottle of Advil by Derek's nightstand before he left their dorm room.

Derek grumbled as he slowly sat himself up. "Why the hell did I sign up for morning classes?" He mumbled to himself; he already missed the days where he never woke up before noon.

While Derek was trying to wake himself up for his first true day as a university student, his pseudo-stepsister was preparing for her cover as a temporary nurse at Glenwood Springs Psychiatric Hospital all the way in Ketchum, Oklahoma.

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**Additional Disclaimer: **I have no clue about the registration at Queens University or the programs offered there so just go with how I have written it (I did try to use my own program knowledge from my school to help make it more realistic). Also, in this story I have the CNE open for the entirety of August while in reality it's only open during the second half of August.

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**Used Hunts: **Alright so the salt-and-burn section with Casey and Dean was a hunt I made up BUT the mention of the hunt at the very end refers to the wraith case in **SPN 5x11 ("Sam, Interrupted")** where Sam and Dean went undercover as patients in a mental hospital…the only alteration I have is that Casey goes undercover as a temporary nurse for the hospital while John played the role of a concerned father to his two 'clinically insane' sons.

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**A/N #4: **And there you go! It was a bit more Derek-centric but what did you think? What are your predictions? Do you think Derek will forget about Casey now that he's at Queens? Do you think Casey can keep her head in the game? **Please let me know in a review!** I love to hear your thoughts/predictions for this story!

**A/N #5:** Alright, so another head's up...since my semester has started, I won't be able to freely write as I wish but I do have lots of plans for this story so I hope you hang in there and stick around to see how it all unfolds. Once again, thank you for the support and I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend!

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**TV Reminder:** Season 9 of "Supernatural" begins on Tuesday October 8/13 at 9pm! Don't miss it! I saw the promo and there is this one line that I can't wait to see in context ("There ain't no me if there ain't no you." –Dean to Sam)

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**Originally Published:** September 27, 2013


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